


Moving On

by Ariadneswake



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:53:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 38,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22942858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariadneswake/pseuds/Ariadneswake
Summary: Rowan and Aelin meet in the midst of each of their relationships ending and a promising friendship blossoms!
Relationships: Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Rowan Whitethorn, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien/Chaol Westfall, Elide Lochan/Lorcan Salvaterre, Lyria/Rowan Whitethorn
Comments: 74
Kudos: 119





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hate picking titles so if anyone has a better idea, drop it in the comments!

Chapter 1

***Aelin***

Aelin stood half dressed in the center of her hotel room and glared at the man who had just thrown open her door. "Can I help you?" 

He had burst into the room all fury and destruction, only to skid to an abrupt stop at the sound of her voice. She noted the way his eyes trailed up her body, barely stopping to linger on the lace of her bra before snapping to the ceiling, a deep red flush creeping onto his cheeks. "Oh gods! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I must have the wrong room!" His hand flew to cover his eyes. 

Aelin quickly pulled a camisole over her head and laughed as he waved his arms blindly, trying to feel his way back to the door. Gods, 

he didn't have any right to be that pretty. His hair was actually silver somehow and combined with his strong jawline, he looked like he had just wandered out of a fairytale. "Okay Prince Charming, you can open your eyes," she said through a chuckle. He peaked back at her through his fingers, checking to make sure she was decent, before profusely apologizing again, cheeks still tinged with pink. He had just began backing toward the door, when a voice rang out from behind him.

"Rowan?" Lyria called from the door. "What are you doing here?" His jaw tightened and he straightened his spine to stand at his full height. The rage he'd had when he burst into the room returning. 

This was not a fight that she should be around for. Everyone in the office knew Lyria had been seeing someone outside of her marriage, and for long enough that people had tired of talking about it. Even so, she couldn't help but take an appreciative glance at him before turning back to the blouse she had been planning on wearing. He was practically a giant, well over six feet tall, and every visible part of him was defined with thick cords of muscle. And that jawline… Prince Charming indeed! 

Aelin had never much liked Lyria even before the rumors started and had been dreading this trip ever since she had seen the room assignments. But, since Chaol still didn't want to admit to the office that they were dating, and Lysandra's roomate had been unwilling to switch, Aelin was left with no other choice than to accept the room she'd been given. 

Angry whispers started to get louder from the other half of the room and Aelin hurriedly began tucking the hem of her blouse into her gray knee length pencil skirt. The tension in the room was becoming unbearable. Shoes. She just needed her shoes and she could leave. There under the corner of the bed! She bent to reach for it just as Rowan yelled "What do you mean everything's fine?! You think because you're cheating with a woman this time I'd just be fine with it?!" Aelin's head snapped to attention, the motion shifting her weight and sending her toppling to the floor in shock. 

Both of their eyes turned on her at the noise and before Lyria could formulate whatever bullshit she was going to sling, Aelin raised her hands and said "Whoa there big guy! I just got assigned to sleep here. I'm not part of whatever this situation is." She gestured between the two of them with a wave and quickly pulled her shoes onto her feet. Grabbing her key card from the desk she sidled around the couple and out the door, closing it behind her just in time for them to resume fighting. She blew out a sigh of relief and started toward her next panel. She would be there early but it was better than staying in her hotel room right now.

***Aelin***

Chaol was already seated in the conference room when she arrived, so she slid into the seat next to him. He smiled at her tightly. "Aelin, you know I don't want people at work to know yet… I thought we were gonna keep some distance this weekend."

His words stung, but she waved them away. "I know. I know. But Chaol. You are not gonna believe what just happened. Lyria's husband just showed up. Apparently the rumors have caught up with her."

Shock flashed across Chaol's face and she preened at having information he hadn't heard yet. "He came all the way down here? Rifthold is a six hour drive away."

Aelin nodded. "I guess he thought he might catch her in the act or something. I don't know. I got out as fast as I could." She reached the run a finger over his hand, but he pulled it away. Aelin sighed.

"You should go before someone sees you here and starts to talk." He turned back to the papers he had been reading. Apparently she was dismissed. 

Swallowing back her disappointment, she stared at him tightly for a moment before murmuring "fine," and slipping out of the seat.  _ He just doesn't want to complicate things at work yet.  _ She was constantly reminding herself of it as they approached the sixth month of their secret relationship, but it didn't stop the sting every time he pulled away or made her leave his cubicle.  _ It won't be much longer.  _ She remembered his promise the last time she was cuddled into his arms.  _ Just get through this conference and when we get home we'll make it official.  _ She could handle one more night and when they got home it would all be different. He had promised after all. 

***Aelin***

Aelin wandered through the hotel's resort later that night. Lysandra had disappeared into someone's room not long ago and Chaol was still busy pretending she didn't exist. The resort was nice and while their days were filled with educational panels on business strategies and team building exercises, they were given the full run of the resort amenities each night. Aelin just wished she wasn't wandering it alone.

She made her way into the bar, ready to drown her self pity in tequila, when she spotted a familiar head of silver hair. She plunked into the seat next to him and ordered two shots sliding one down the bar to stop directly under his nose where he had been resting his head on his hands. 

His eyes flicked up to hers in confusion. She had changed into a casual t shirt and jean shorts, and her golden hair, previously pulled tightly back into a bun, now hung loose around her shoulders. It took him a moment to recognize her. "Right. You're sharing a room with Lyria. Sorry I had the wrong idea… and sorry I barged in on you..." He had just a hint of an accent as if it had faded over time.

"Don't worry about it." She nodded her head toward the shot of tequila in front of him. "You probably need that more than I do. You gonna take it or am I drinking alone Prince Charming?" She grinned as he raised the glass to her and clinked it against her own before throwing it back. 

"Its Rowan, by the way," he said, already raising a hand to signal the bartender.

"I know." Aelin grinned. 

***Aelin***

The bar at the hotel looked out over the pool and Aelin and Rowan drank and watched as overworked businessmen and women let loose. These retreats were little more than an excuse for people to get trashed and party away from home. More than half of the employees didn't even show up for their panels after the first day. 

As she scanned the crowd her eye caught on Chaol standing near the pool having a conversation with Nesryn Faliq. She watched as his eyes raked over her bikini clad body before he leaned to say something into her ear. Aelin groaned and dropped her head to the bar. Rowan ordered another round passing her shot over. "Rough day?"

"It wasn't great. Though it probably beat yours."

He nodded his agreement. "You already know why I'm drinking then. What has you here alone?"

"I'm not alone. I have your cheery disposition for company," she said with a wink. The corner of his mouth barely pulled up, but as his eyes caught hers she knew he was aware that she was avoiding the topic.

"That's alright. You don't have to tell me."

Aelin watched him for a moment as he fiddled with his glass. She sighed, making her decision. After all, who would he tell anyway? She tossed back her drink and tapped the glass on the counter and gestured to the bartender for two more. "My boyfriend doesn't want to admit we're dating yet." Rowan huffed a laugh that had Aelin shooting him a glare. 

He held his hands up. "Sorry, sorry. It's just hard to believe is all." Her brow furrowed in confusion. He gave her an appraising look before answering. "I just can't imagine a guy that wouldn't want to show you off the second he had you." She looked up at him in disbelief but found only honesty in his deep green eyes. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks and quickly looked back down to her shot glass. As if on cue to give her a distraction her phone lit up with a message from Chaol. As she read the words a scoff fell from her lips. 

**Do you need me to make**

**that guy leave you alone?**

**Why would you? You wouldn't want**

**someone to see you and 'start talking'.**

**Seriously Aelin. He's bad**

**news, you should go back**

**to your room.**

She slammed her phone down on the bar, quietly grumbling to herself about jealous assholes ruining everything. Twisting back to face Rowan, and pointedly refusing to look toward Chaol, she asked "So what makes this weekend different for you hmm? We've been going on these retreats twice a year since I've been with the company and yet it took you this long to break into my hotel room." 

He smirked at her for a moment before dropping his gaze back to the glass in his hands. "I've suspected for a while…but this time I found proof. She left her messages open on my laptop. I've been sitting here for an hour wondering if that guy," he pointed toward the pool, "is worth risking assault charges for."

Aelin followed his line of sight and her heart dropped into her stomach. "That guy?" She asked, pointing at Chaol. She knew the answer before he said it, rage already heating her veins. 

"Yeah talking to the girl in the black bikini. Chaol Weston or Westwood or something like that."

"Chaol Westfall," she said barely above a whisper, hands clenched into fists. Without another thought she was up and moving around the bar.

***Rowan***

Rowan watched as the gorgeous blonde with fury in her eyes tore a path through the crowd of writhing bodies toward the man at the pool. His eyes were blown wide in shock as Aelin started yelling something Rowan couldn't hear. The whole crowd was watching her like hungry vultures circling a corpse. He was starting to wonder if he should go do something to help when she paused. Chaol started to say something back but instead of letting him finish she landed a perfect right hook to his jaw that had him staggering back and while he was off balance she shoved him, knocking him into the pool. 

Clearly, she did not need his help. The entire crowd began to buzz, parting around her as she made her way back toward the bar. She stopped when she reached him and Rowan tilted his head up to meet her eyes. Her face was all rage and wildfire as she said, "You are way too drunk to drive, and this hotel is completely booked out for the company. Where are you planning on sleeping?"

Rowan quirked an eyebrow at her. "I was planning on sleeping it off in my truck."

Aelin's lips quirked into a vicious smile that had Rowan feeling somewhat reckless. Something about her soothed the ache in his chest and the sudden relief from what felt like three years of torture with Lyria had him deciding he would probably follow her off a cliff if she asked him. "Well it's your lucky day Rowan. A bed just opened up in my room."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of miscarriage, mentions of death of a loved one, mentions of cheating, alcohol consumption

***Aelin***

All eyes were pinned on them as she took Rowan's hand and led him through the resort. News of her outburst had traveled fast and the shock of finding out she and Chaol had even been together was clear on everyone's faces. As was the curiosity at the new man following behind her. She already knew she would be facing months of whispers and rumors when she got back to work anyway.

Once the door was sealed behind her she let out a tiny sigh of relief. She wasn't done though. She looked up at Rowan, standing awkwardly in the center of the room. "Are you planning on staying with your wife?" She began rustling around the room looking for a pen and paper.

He took a deep breath. "No. No, I'm gonna file for a divorce as soon as I get home." 

"Are you sure?" She looked up from the desk where she was scribbling out a message.

"Yes. I'm done. I think I've been done for a while." She took a moment to search his face for any hesitation and when she didn't find any she held up the sign for his approval.

**Cheating bitches**

**are not welcome.**

**Rowan wants a divorce**.

**Chaol x Lyria forever!**

**You assholes deserve each other!**

Rowan read the sign and snorted a laugh before nodding his head and gesturing toward the door for her to go ahead. The grin she gave him was downright feral as she trotted to the door and taped up the sign. "Can you pass me that duffle bag?" She pointed toward the bed nearest the door. He smiled as he recognized it and passed it over, then watched as Aelin dropped it outside the door and drug the sturdy chair over to prop it under the door handle effectively barring entry. 

"That is now your bed," she said gesturing to the now empty queen bed. "Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla?"

Rowan shook his head, clearly a bit confused by the sudden change in direction. "I really don't have a preference I guess."

Aelin looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Don't have a preference…" She grumbled to herself. "Chocolate it is then." She gathered her laptop along with the ice cream and half empty bottle of whiskey she had stashed in the mini fridge.

Pushing Rowan toward the bed until he was sitting on it she hopped up and scampered over to the other side, propping herself against the headboard. She looked at him expectantly where he was still awkwardly sitting on the edge of the bed like he didn't quite know what to do with himself. "You look like a buzzard perched over there." She patted the spot next to her with one hand while the other flew across the keys of her laptop. "I don't bite unless people deserve it and wallowing is more fun if you don't have to do it alone." 

Rowan narrowed his eyes. "Fair enough," he said and scooted up next to her. She took a long pull off the whiskey bottle and passed it to him. He took his own and passed it back. "What are we watching?" He gestured to her laptop as she scrolled through netflix. 

"Jackass. I like watching people get hurt when I'm hurting." She held out a spoon for him and ripped the top off the ice cream container, taking a huge scoop before setting it on the bed between them.

Rowan looked over the spread of supplies she had gathered. "It almost seems like you were prepared for this."

"I'm at a conference with a man I've been seeing for six months that refused to acknowledge he was dating me. I already knew this weekend was gonna suck, I just didn't know I would have company." She shook the spoon at him then, still waiting for him to take it.

Her answer seemed to ease his tension. He took the spoon. Scooping out his own massive spoonful and settling in against the pillows behind him. 

  
  


***Rowan***

Before long the two were happily chatting and telling stories about their lives and joking with each other as if they'd been friends for years. And laughing. They were  _ laughing  _ about their new exes and getting cheated on. It felt like the first time in years that Rowan had genuinely laughed. Maybe the liquor had a hand in it, but he was pretty sure it was mostly the effect of the blonde next to him, who was practically glowing as she cackled at someone falling out of a shopping cart. Even in the midst of what should have been one of the worst days of his life, and certainly couldn't have been a great day for her either, Aelin's happiness was infectious. 

She was just finishing up a story about Chaol. Laughing hysterically at herself for not having seen through him, as if she was somehow the one who should've known better, when Rowan couldn't hold in his question any longer. "Not that any of this is your fault, but why did you wait so long for him? He sounds like an ass."

"Well after Sam it just seemed like…" she grew quiet, realization dawning on her face. "Ah… I guess you wouldn't know about Sam." Her face fell and he instantly regretted asking her, but a soft smile touched her lips a moment later. "Its okay you don't have to…" she silenced him with a gesture.

"It's just been awhile since I've had to explain it. Sam was my fiance. He and I both started in the mail room as interns and worked our way up." She took a deep breath to steady herself, and when she continued her words had grown thick as if she were holding back tears. "He passed away a few years ago. He had an aneurysm during a flight home from a business trip." She cleared her throat. "The whole office loved him, and after that… well most people didn't really know how to act around me anymore, so they just stayed away." 

"They just… abandoned you?"

"No, nothing so dramatic. I wasn't really as close to people as Sam was anyway. And I wasn't really ever alone. I still had Lysandra." 

"Okay so then back to Chaol."

"Yes. Chaol." She scrunched her nose as if there was a bad smell. "Chaol was the first guy to show any interest after... what happened. I think everyone else was trying to respect Sam, but Chaol never knew him. He only came to the company when the Havilliards took over last year. When he asked me out, it had been so long and maybe this is a little pathetic, but it had been three years and honestly it just felt nice to have someone pay that kind of attention again. So I went along with it, the secrets and the put downs. And I guess after a few months I just...settled for him. I settled. Because no one will ever be Sam again, so maybe that's the best I'll get."

Rowan didn't know what to say, how to comfort her for a tragedy that happened so long ago. So instead he reached across the bed and took her hand and held it in his own, bringing them up to rest against his chest. "No matter your reasons, it wasn't pathetic. You decided to try again. That's worth a lot. If anyone's pathetic its Chaol. He's a dumbass if he thinks he can find better. Especially with my soon to be ex wife."

Aelin turned to look at him, eyes lined with silver. "Aaaaaw buzzard! Who knew you could be so nice!"

"Don't get used to it," he joked. 

"So what's your excuse then? Why'd you stay with Lyria so long? Its been… six years now?"

"Almost seven...how did you know that?"

She shrugged. "I told you I started in the mail room. You always sent flowers on your anniversary. I thought it was cute."

Rowan raised an eyebrow at her. Aelin gestured with her free hand for him to go on, then took a long pull from the whiskey bottle. He grabbed the bottle from her before answering. "The first time I found out about Lyria's cheating was also about three years ago. We had just lost a baby." Aelin sucked in a breath, but he continued. "We were both grieving and we had been through so much that I just… couldn't blame her. So I stayed. And we got through it. She promised it was only once and told me she was drunk and sad and… well I wasn't there. Not the way I should have been. I didn't know how to handle the loss, so I pulled back." Aelin started rubbing comforting circles against his thumb and he squeezed her hand in response. "Anyway, she promised to stop seeing the guy and I decided to believe her. But a few months later...I don't know. She just… I didn't have anything concrete, but it's like I could feel that there was someone else again, but I felt so guilty for being absent after we lost the baby and I didn't push it. I went my own way. Traveled for work as often as they asked, and more often than not when we were both home we were fighting about some petty thing or another. Then yesterday I found those messages. You want to know the worst part?" Aelin quirked a brow. "It wasn't just Chaol. There were messages to other men going back almost five years. Well before she got pregnant. I dug out the birth certificate they gave us when she miscarried. It's my name listed as the father, but the blood type is wrong. Lyria and I are both type A, the baby was type AB. I've been grieving her loss for three years and she was never even mine to grieve." 

A muffled sniffle drew his attention down to Aelin, who was now fully crying and failing horribly to wipe tears away without letting go of his hand. "Oh, don't do that over me," he said, reaching to brush away her tears with a swipe of his thumb.

"Gods she is the worst!" Aelin's voice was still thick with tears. Do you want me to key her car? I'm definitely going to key her car." Rowan chuckled at the determined look on her face and flicked her nose.

"Definitely do not key her car. I'm still making payments on it."

"Can I key her car after your divorce goes through?"

"No...hmmm….maybe. Just don't tell me till after you do it. But also send me a picture." 

A mischievous grin spread across Aelin's face and Rowan wondered just how much damage she was planning to do. He couldn't entirely bring himself to care as he took another swig off the now nearly empty whiskey bottle. He passed it back to Aelin who eyed the bottle before finishing it in one gulp. "We are going to need more liquor," she declared. Then, using the hand he held as an anchor, she leaned over the edge of the bed and popped open a bedside mini fridge. When she settled back into place, six miniature bottles fell from her hand onto the bed. 

"You know those are like 13 dollars each right?" She snorted a laugh and waved his concern away.

"The company pays for everything at these retreats. May as well enjoy the perks right?"

Rowan just shrugged and selected two bottles holding them out for her to twist off the caps before passing one over and turning back to the movie.

  
  


***Aelin***

As ten o clock rolled around, Aelin and Rowan were belligerently drunk. They had long since drained the bottle of whiskey, along with several mini bottles, and had been in the middle of cackling maniacally at a group of men getting shot by paintball guns, when a loud banging echoed through the room. 

Aelin groaned. "Maybe if we ignore them they'll go away." Rowan still hadn't let go of Aelin's hand, and she had yet to pull it away as Lyria's voice rang through the door. 

"Rowan? Rowan I need to speak with you. I know you're in there."

Aelin's words slurred together as she patted his shoulder with her free hand. "You have to tell her you're not here!" 

"Right. Okay." His accent had thickened considerably as they drank and the words tumbled and twisted smoothly from his mouth. He turned his head to the door and yelled "Rowan isn't home right now! Leave a message!" Aelin started cackling.

"Yeah go away Lyria! No one's home!" Lyria started jiggling the door handle which only sent Aelin deeper into her fit of giggles. 

"This is my room too! You have to let me in."

Rowan started cackling too as Aelin yelled. "Not anymore! We're divorcing you!" 

"Yeah we're divorcing you!"

"Stay out of it Aelin!" Lyria snapped jiggling the door handle again. "Rowan you can't just leave a note that you're divorcing me. We need to talk!" They could hear the paper rustling as she tore it off the door. "You didn't even write this!"

"Oh fuck off Lyria!" Aelin hollered. Rowan echoed her. "Go stay with stupid Chaol since you guys looooove each other so much!"

"Yeah go stay with that asshole! You can be assesholes together!" Aelin giggled maniacally and held out a wobbly hand for a high five. They missed twice before finally connecting sending them both into a deeper fit of laughter.

Lyria was quiet for a moment before giving up. "I guess we can just talk tomorrow before we go home."

The pair listened quietly as her footsteps clicked down the hallway. When the sound had faded, Rowan raised his free hand to mime a talking mouth and said in a mocking tone "I GuEss wE CaN TAlK toMoRROw…" sending Aelin toppling back onto her pillow in another fit of drunken giggles.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

***Aelin***

They woke the next morning in the same position they had passed out in, Rowan holding Aelin's hand to his chest and her head resting on his shoulder. They hadn't let go of each other since she told him about Sam, each of them finding a passive comfort in the reminder that they weren't alone. 

For the first time in ages Aelin had slept through the night, though the mini bottles littered around the bed may have had something to do with it. She carefully pulled her hand free and rubbed her aching temples as she tiptoed into the bathroom to pee and splash water on her face before checking her phone. A few missed calls and a handful of texts, most from Chaol asking to talk. One from Lysandra that was gif of a woman screaming 'YAAAS BITCH' and snapping her fingers and one from Dorian saying he was sorry for his friend's behavior and that he hadn't known. Of course he hadn't. Dorian thought Chaol had been sent directly from heaven. They were practically brothers and he was usually blind to any wrongdoing on Chaol's part. Lysandra, on the other hand, had never cared much for Chaol, especially considering that she was the only person who had known the whole truth about him and Aelin. She was about to clear her apps when she noticed that she had mapped a route to a diner she had never heard of.

When she reemerged from the bathroom Rowan was sitting at the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. He didn't look up as she approached, but groaned in pain. "Gods, did we drink the whole mini bar?"

Aelin flopping down on the floor in front of him. "Yes, and half a bottle of whiskey. Do you remember what this is?" She showed him the map on her phone. He squinted at it for a moment.

"Yeah I know that place. They have the best waffles in Adarlan. There's this big list of toppings to pick from. Everything from buffalo wings to Nutella. It's like an hour or so out of the way when you're heading back to Rifthold."

Aelin's mouth was practically watering. "Gods that sounds good." She eyed him speculatively. "You know... drunk us clearly made plans to go get waffles. It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of you to cancel plans on such short notice." He quirked a brow at her.

"Yeah but I'm supposed to 'tAlk To lYRiA'" he copied his movement from the night before.

Aelin scrunched up her nose in irritation, waving a hand as if to knock his words out of the air. "She cheated on you. You can do whatever the hell you want."

He thought over her words for a moment. "You know what, you're right. Lets get waffles."

Aelin jumped a few times and clapped before abruptly raising a hand to her head and groaning. "And coffee. A lot of coffee. Give me 15 minutes to pack."

"What about your car? Do you want to meet there?"

"No, I rode with Lysandra down here. I'll just text her to go without me." Aelin was already stuffing things into her duffel bag, taking a moment to quickly swap her t shirt for a clean one. She didn't bother with privacy since Rowan had seen her in a bra the first time they met anyway. After hunting down one more shoe and quickly brushing her teeth she pulled out her phone and typed out a message. 

**Hey go home without me,**

**I'm riding with Rowan.**

**We're going for waffles!**

Lysandra replied almost immediately. 

**Get it girl! But also… who is Rowan?**

**Um… Lyrias husband?**

**Soon to be ex husband.**

**We hung out last night.**

**Damn, you moved on fast. Congrats! 😏🍌**

  
  


**Nothing happened lys.**

**We just got drunk and bonded**

**over being cheated on**

**by the same people** **.**

**I'll see you at home later!**

**Sure, sure whatever you say!**

**See you at home.**

  
  


Aelin looked up from her phone with a smile on her face. Rowan had already taken her bag and was heading out the door. She quickly pulled on her tennis shoes, but paused as she approached and heard voices drifting in from the hallway.

  
  


***Rowan***

He had barely made it out of the room when Lyria appeared in his path. Rowan groaned looking around the hallway for some escape. When he found none, other than retreating the way he came, he decided to just forge ahead.

"Not now Lyria." The pounding in his head was only serving to build on his disinterest in seeing or talking to her. God's how did Aelin manage to wake up so chipper even with a hangover?

"Rowan, we have to talk at some point." 

"No, actually. We don't." He hefted Aelin's duffle bag back up onto his shoulder and made to step around her but she moved into his path again. "Lyria, move." 

"No," she insisted. "Not until you talk to me!" She reached to brush her hand along his arm and he yanked it back.

"Do not touch me." His tone was laced with anger. She pulled her hand back.

"Rowan… we can work this out..." Rowan's eyes went wide with disbelief at what he was hearing and his knuckles turned white where he tightened his grip on the strap of the duffle bag. He was running out of patience.

"Now you want to work this out? No. It is safe to say that we cannot work this out Lyria. I'm tired of being married to a woman who keeps fucking other men." He flexed the fingers of his free hand, trying to stop it from shaking.

He knew that if he had to hear one more sentence from her he was probably going to put a hole in the wall. 

"Oh, you mean like how jumped straight into bed with Aelin just to piss me off?! You can't tell me there weren't other women on all those trips you took for work!" Rowan's hand clenched into a fist and his face contorted in barely contained rage at her accusation. 

But it was at that exact moment, before he even had time to exhale, that two small hands slid suggestively along his torso until they encircled his waist from behind. Aelin used her head to nudge her way under his arm, pressing her body against his side. Completely ignoring Lyria, she rose up on her tiptoes to trail her tongue up the column of his throat in an obscenely lewd display, before planting a mockingly chaste kiss on his cheek. His eyes sparked with amusement as he realized what she was doing.

In a breathy whisper that was intentionally too loud to be private, she said, "Thanks for last night Prince Charming. I'll be waiting in the truck." He couldn't help but smile wickedly back at her as she grinned and dangled his keys in front of him. He hadn't even noticed her slipping them from his back pocket, though by the look of things Lyria had definitely noticed. Aelin took a few steps backward, intentionally knocking into a red faced Lyria on her way past. "Oh! Sorry Lyria," she said in a falsely sweet voice. "I didn't see you there." 

Rowan watched Aelin prance away toward the parking lot. Even as she walked away he could tell she was pleased with herself and he couldn't deny that the look on Lyria's face made it worth letting her think whatever she wanted about the night he spent with Aelin. Before Lyria could say anything else he ducked around her, taking advantage of the path Aelin had made when she bumped into her. "I'll have my lawyer call you," he hollered without turning back as he followed Aelin into the parking lot.

Aelin's head popped up in excitement as he opened the driver side door and slid into the bench seat next to her. "Did it work?!"

Rowan turned his body as he backed out of the parking space. "Yeah you definitely got to her, but did you really have to lick my neck?" He used the collar of his shirt to scrub at his neck and faked a grimace.

Aelin just shrugged and went back to adjusting his radio station and air conditioner to her own preferences. "It completed the scene." She threw up a hand in a dramatic gesture. "Anyway I figured that if she had already decided to believe we had sex, at least I could make her believe it was good." 

Rowan barked a laugh. "Solid priorities, Princess." Aelin just gave him a wide smile as she turned up the radio and settled in for the long drive ahead. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

  


***Aelin***

Lysandra was leaning against the brick wall of their apartment building when Rowan and Aelin pulled up to the curb. She and Rowan were still laughing, as they had been since they left the diner. "Two pieces of waffle on a skewer of mostly meat and mushrooms does not count as 'eating waffles'. You had weird shish kabobs." She said as she hopped to the ground from her seat. 

  


Rowan chuckled as he lifted her bag from the bed of the truck. "You're just mad that my shish kawaffs were better than your monstrosity of chocolate and hazelnut." 

  


"Not a chance!" She reached over to pinch his side but he slapped her hand away.

  


"Stop it you." He said, eyes narrowed in a fake glare as they stopped in front of Lysandra. She took in Rowan with wide eyes before turning expectantly toward Aelin. 

  


"Lysandra, this is Rowan. Rowan, this is my roomate Lysandra." He nodded and shook her hand, but Lysandra's eyes didn't leave Aelin, even as she ignored the pointed stare. 

  


Rowan turned back to Aelin and passed her duffle back to her. "I better run." 

  


"Alright see ya later!" She held out a fist and he bumped it before hopping into his truck and pulling away. Aelin waited until he turned around the corner before facing Lysandra's incredulous stare. "What?" 

  


"You said you two  _ didn't  _ hook up?"

  


"Yes, you read that correctly."

  


"Aelin, have you seen him? He's gorgeous." 

  


Aelin laughed at her friend's persistence. "He also just broke off a seven year marriage. And even if it was like that, which it isn't," she glared, "I don't think either one of us will be jumping back into the dating pool anytime soon." Aelin's smile faltered for a moment. With Rowan's company she hadn't really let herself think about Chaol. 

  


Lysandra ran a hand down her arm and twisted her mouth to the side. "Let's get inside, and you can tell me what actually happened." she said, pulling Aelin along with her.

  


Aelin didn't wait before launching into the story, recounting everything from the moment Rowan burst into her hotel room the previous morning, the details spilling out until there was nothing left to tell.

  


She spent the rest of the day lounging around and savoring the last few hours before she would have to return to work and face the two people that she most wanted to avoid.

  


***Aelin***

  


The next morning Aelin was greeted by stares and whispers as she made her way to her cubicle. She had expected it after her very public outburst, but it was annoying none the less. 

  


She dropped into her chair, whirling to turn on her computer to find a single post it note stuck to her monitor. In a swirling feminine script the word ' _ Hypocrite _ ' stared back at her. She snorted once before crumpling it and dropping it into her recycling bin. It wasn't hard to guess who had left it. 

  


She pulled out her phone and sent a text to Rowan.

  


**I seem to have made an enemy out**

**of your ex wife by "sleeping with" you.**

  


She set her phone aside and just as she turned back to her monitor, Dorian appeared at her side, coffee in hand. He held it out to her. "Peace offering?"

  


She turned to face him fully and caught the worried look on his face. "You have nothing to make peace for Dorian." She smiled and took the cup. "But thank you for the coffee anyway!" He continued to frown.

  


"I honestly didn't know. I swear. If I had…" Aelin tried not to grimace. This was exactly the kind of conversation she didn't want to have. Especially in the middle of an office where everyone was listening with bated breath.

  


She cut him off before he could finish. "It's really alright Dorian. We're adults! You don't have to pick sides." 

  


He smiled at her sadly and looked like he was about to launch into another apology when her phone started buzzing on her desk. She looked down in time to see four texts from Rowan appear in her notifications one right after the next. She smiled politely at Dorian, lifting her phone, and said "So sorry, but this is really important… I have to take this." She flicked her eyes in the direction of his own desk and waited expectantly until he nodded and walked away. She let out a small sigh of relief as she opened her messages.

  


**Oh gods. What did she**

**do now?**

  


**Do I need to tell her**

**to leave you alone?**

  


**I'll tell her to leave**

**you alone.**

  


**Also good morning** .

  


Aelin smiled as she read them, quickly typing out a reply.

  


**Calm down, you buzzard. It's fine.**

**She just left a post it in my cubicle.**

  


**And I think it bothers her more**

**that you won't talk to her.**

  


**Also good morning to you too**. 🙂

  
  


***Aelin***

Aelin's workweek continued on almost as if nothing had changed. The only two exceptions were the post notes left each morning bestowing a new impolite title on Aelin for the day, and the text messages she received from Rowan each morning wishing her luck on dealing with Lyria and Chaol. 

She didn't particularly mind the notes, though she was a bit disappointed by the lack of originality.  _Bitch_. _Whore_. _Slut_. They were overused and unoriginal. Why even waste the time? She typically tossed them in the bin each morning and moved on with her day, but when she arrived at work on Friday morning she almost couldn't believe what she was reading.  _Homewrecker_. Aelin almost laughed at the sheer lack of self awareness it must have taken to believe that she was the homewrecker in this situation. She quickly typed out a message to Rowan, before snapping a picture of the note and attaching it.

  


**You are not going to believe**

**what my post it said this morning.**

  


**You've got to be kidding me.**

  


**Not even a little. Lol. I'm thinking of**

**keeping this one as a memento.**

  


**I know I've already said this,**

**but I'm so sorry you somehow**

**ended up stuck in the middle of this.**

  


**It's not your fault. And honestly,**

**I get a little bit of sick joy knowing**

**I'm so far under her skin.**

  


**What are you doing tomorrow?**

  


**Moving. A buddy from work is**

**subletting his apartment while**

**he goes on a year long job up north.**

  


**Need help?**

  


**Actually yeah if you're free.**

**Fen cleared out most of my**

**stuff the night we were in**

**Eeylwe, but I only have an**

**hour and a half to grab the**

**rest while Lyria is meeting**

**with her lawyer.**

  


**Did you break the silence?**

  


**Hah! No! Her calendar still**

**updates on my phone. I've**

**been using it to avoid her.**

  


**Genius! What time are you**

**picking me up?**

  


**10:45? Her meeting is**

**from 11 to 11:30.**

  


**Sounds good. Bring coffee!**

  


"What're you smiling about?" Aelin slapped her phone down on her desk and looked up to see Lysandra leaning against the wall of her cubicle. 

  


"Nothing. I'm just in a good mood. It's Friday." Lysandra gave a knowing smirk and plucked the post it from her desk.

  


"Oh that's rich. You should frame that."

  


"That's what I said!"

  


"We could hang it on your door so everyone knows which room is yours." Aelin laughed as Lysandra pinned it to the corkboard strip that ran along the top of the cubicle wall. "Speaking of it being Friday...we should go out tonight…" she paused, catching the answer in Aelin's eye. "Unless you already have plans tonight… maybe with a certain tall and hunky divorcee? Aelin, do you have a date with Rowan?!" A few heads quirked her direction, giving up the pretense of minding their own business at the first hint of gossip.

  


"No, I don't have a date," she hissed at Lysandra. Then, in a much quieter tone, "But I am helping him move tomorrow and I want to go to bed early. And please keep it quiet. Lyria doesn't know."

  


Lysandra's eyes crinkled in amusement as she pretended to lock her lips and throw the key. "She won't hear it from me!"

  


Aelin quirked a brow in her direction. "What are you doing up here?" The HR department, where Lysandra worked, shared space with the security offices three floors below. It was rare for them to see each other during working hours. 

  


"I'm waiting for Chaol to leave with Mr. Havilliard's security detail. He's driving the whole floor insane, snapping at everyone and everything. And after what he did to you I'm about ten seconds away from punching him myself." 

  


Aelin snorted. "What's got his panties in a twist? Is downgrading to one woman really that atrocious?"

  


"Hah no it's actually been since Dorian visited him yesterday. You didn't hear?" Aelin shook her head and started entering her daily finance reports. Lysandra continued on. "Dorian came downstairs yesterday and told Chaol off for cheating on you. Then he didn't come in for work today. Said he would meet them downtown rather than riding with the security team. When his dad offered to have Chaol accompany him, he asked for Ress instead. I thought Chaol was pissy before, but ever since Dorian left yesterday he's been downright unbearable." Aelin nodded along and continued to type as Lysandra spoke. 

  


She wasn't ignoring her friend, but she didn't particularly care to spend too much time thinking about Chaol or his problems. Every time she did let her mind wander in his direction her anger started to build back up, followed by a rush of embarrassment of how much of herself she had given up for him, only to get burned. She already knew it would be a long time before she would be able to reclaim it all and spending her time wallowing over him would only lengthen the process. Aelin gestured to the clock, "Looks like they were supposed to leave five minutes ago."

  


Lysandra threw up her arms. "Finally! Hey I'll see you later!" Aelin lifted a hand to wave without taking her eyes off the screen. But for all the focus she pretended to have, Aelin spent the rest of the day struggling to keep her mind on her work.

  
  


***Aelin***

  


As 5:30 rolled around, Aelin began to pack up her desk. She had already stayed a half hour late and had no intention of staying any later, but when she turned to leave she saw that Lyria stood blocking her path out of the cubicle. 

  


"What do you want, Lyria?" 

  


"I have a favor to ask."

  


"No."

  


"Just hear me out."

  


"Will you stop leaving passive aggressive post it notes on my computer?"

  


Lyria ignored her question and wrapped her arms around herself. "I just need to talk to Rowan."

  


"That's not my problem."

  


"He won't answer my calls or texts." 

  


Aelin looked at her with raised brows. "That's still not my problem."

  


"But you're still seeing him aren't you? Can't you just ask him to answer?" 

  


Aelin just shook her head and maneuvered around Lyria to walk toward the elevator.

  


"Aelin, I'm pregnant. I messaged Chaol to meet me at the retreat to break things off after I found out, but I hadn't told Rowan yet. If he wants to be a father then he needs to talk to me." 

  


It was a monumental task to keep her face clear of surprise as she said "Believe it or not, Lyria, that still isn't my problem." Then she entered the elevator and waited for the doors to seal before letting out a quiet string of curses.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 

***Aelin***

Aelin was waiting outside when Rowan arrived. She hadn't called him the previous night, telling herself it was because the message she had been tasked with relaying wasn't something you say over the phone. Though if she were honest, it had more to do with the irritating fact that Lyria had found a way to use her. One that she couldn't ignore without making things worse for Rowan. Her foot tapped rapidly against the sidewalk, nervous energy building up as she waited, full of dread for the task ahead of her. 

Still, when she saw his truck pulling up to the curb she breathed a small sigh of relief. She flopped onto the seat next to him and he was already holding out her coffee. She took it from him with a frown and the grin on his face fell. "Rough morning?" 

"Oh it might be." She took a sip of her coffee. "That's delicious, what is that?" 

With a nervous smile he said "It's a hazelnut mocha. Now back to the other bit. What's going on?"

She took another drink and looked toward the road. "Your wife visited my cubicle yesterday." He turned toward her with a quick frown before looking back toward the road and pulling away from the curb. "It would seem she's getting tired of not hearing back from you, so now she's passing her messages through me." He started to say something but she continued anyway. "Shes pregnant. She says if you want to be a father to call her back." 

Rowan was silent for a moment, brows knit together in confusion. Aelin kept her focus on the road while he processed her words, but a sharp laugh drew her attention. "She's messing with you. She has to be." 

"You think she's lying?" Aelin hadn't know what response to expect, but this certainly wasn't it.

"Whether she's lying or not, it's not mine. She would have to be…" he paused, counting in his head, "she would have to be almost seven and a half months along." Aelin's brows rose.

"Then what's the point of even telling me?"

"I don't know. Honestly I thought she would be relieved by a divorce, but she seems to be doing whatever she can to fight it. It's not like either one of us have been happy for the last few years."

"She says she even broke things off with Chaol." 

Rowan huffed a laugh as he pulled up outside of a small house. "She said the same thing three years ago. It doesn't change anything." Aelin shifted in her seat. "Aelin, thank you for telling me. But, you don't have to do this again."

She cringed. "Would you have rathered I not say anything?"

"No, I'm glad you told me, but I want you around because you're my friend, not so you can act as a messenger for Lyria. If she wants me to have information she can get it to me on my terms."

"Good. That's good." She let out a small sigh as a weight lifted from her shoulders. "Any tips on how to handle it?"

"I think your best bet would be to let her think you refused to play. Let her believe you didn't tell me. I already had my lawyer send a request that all communication be done via a mediator. Hopefully she'll take the hint." A guilty frown pulled at the corners of his mouth, but Aelin was relieved by his answer. So, she nodded once, and returned her attention to the coffee in her hands as they drove through a neighborhood of cute little houses that seemed to have been forgotten by the bustling city around them.

She hopped out of the truck in front of an unremarkable house, similar to those around it but lacking the personal touches that made the rest of the neighborhood seem homey and welcoming. Eager to erase the remorse that still creased the lines of Rowan's face, she turned back to look at him and with most mischievous grin she could muster said, "Come on Buzzard. We don't have all day! We have a house to rob!"

  
  


***Rowan***

Walking into the house he had shared with Lyria felt surreal even though it had only been just over a week since he had started sleeping in the Foreman's office at their current construction site.

The crew had been quick to step up when they found out about Lyria's latest escapade. Fenrys had come and cleared out most of his things while he'd been in Eeylwe, filling his own garage with Rowan's furniture and items. He left behind only a few boxes of tools in the garage and the large leather chair that was too heavy for one person to move alone. Vaughn had immediately taken down the ad for his apartment, instead offering it to Rowan and waiving the deposit. Even Lorcan had quietly passed him the keys to the office after work on Monday when he found out Rowan had been planning to sleep in his truck until the apartment was ready. Even now they were at Fenrys's house loading his boxes into a moving truck and planning to meet them back at the apartment. His friends, it seemed, had been waiting a long while for him to make this move.

He and Aelin made quick work of loading the truck in a companionable silence, neither one of them wanting to waste time and risk seeing Lyria. He took one last cursory glance to make sure he had everything. Not a trace of Rowan's presence was left in the house other than the wedding photos lining the hallway, and even those felt foreign to him now, as if he had never met the people in them. Aelin's hand came to rest on his shoulder and he loosed a long breath. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it. "You okay?" 

"Yeah. Yeah I'm good. This is good."

"Do you need a minute?" Her voice was filled with concern.

"No. I'm ready. Let's go." He turned toward the door, tossing his house key on the counter and locking the handle as they slipped out. 

***Aelin***

Aelin was sitting on the counter in Rowan's new home. He had stepped into the bedroom to call his lawyer and relay the news of Lyria's possible pregnancy, and until his friends arrived with the rest of his belongings there wasn't much to do. She had just leaned her head back against the cupboards when a voice echoed in from the open door. 

"Well I must have the wrong apartment, cause you are way too hot to be here with Whitethorn." Aelin's lips quirked into a half smile as she took in the man at the door. Long blonde curls were half pulled back into a messy bun and his face and body looked as if they had been photoshopped into perfection. He was younger than Aelin expected of the members of Rowan's crew and clearly too confident for his own good as he leaned into her space, planting his hand on the counter near her thigh. "Where are you headed later sweetheart? I've got a great view of the city from my bedroom if you're interested…" her brows rose at his forwardness but before she could answer Rowan appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Back off Pup. She's not here for your particular flavor of one night stand." His tone was light and amused, but there was a tenseness to his muscles and his eyes were edged with worry. The blonde man turned to glare at Rowan. "I'll have you know the women I take home always leave satisfied. I'm not a monster." 

"You also don't remember most of their names, Fenrys." His eyes locked into Aelin's. "He doesn't even take them out for waffles."

Aelin gave a dramatic gasp. "No waffles?! Oh well I'm definitely out then." With a slightly sharper tone and a mischievous glint in her eye she said "I'm not shopping for a puppy anyway." Rowan chuckled quietly from the doorway as Fenrys pretended to stab himself and twist the knife.

"So I guess I'm unloading the truck alone then?" Aelin turned toward the source of the voice, narrowing her eyes at the annoyed tone. A large dark haired man stood in the doorway, nearly hidden behind the stack of boxes I'm his arms. "Move it Fenrys. I've got shit to do today." Fenrys grumbled as he walked out the door, reluctantly following orders. 

Rowan huffed a laugh. "Good morning to you too Lorcan," he said as he made to follow Fenrys back to the truck. Aelin was not so ready to fall in line. She caught Rowan's eye as he passed through the door, quirking a brow in silent question. He just waved her on somehow understanding her intention to sass the grumpy man in front of her. She hopped off the counter and sauntered to the door, turning to stop directly in Lorcan's path.

"Move." He glared down at her, clearly unimpressed.

"Oh I will, first though grumpy Gus, what's got your panties in a twist? Do you hate happiness in general, or just that of your friends?" Aelin's eyes were alight with the challenge of a new verbal sparring partner. In her peripheral vision she could see that Rowan had pulled Fenrys back to watch, the both of them wearing shit eating grins as she mouthed off to their boss. 

Lorcan continued to glare down at her unamused. "Move now."

"First tell me why you hate joy." She could practically feel the amusement rippling off of the two men behind her.

Lorcan narrowed his eyes. "Right now it's the fire breathing bitch queen that's blocking the damn door."

Aelin grinned wide, eyes growing brighter. "Oh I like that one! I might even start going by it. I'll get a little plack to put on my cubicle 'Aelin Galathynius, Fire Breathing Bitch Queen!' Don't worry though Lorcy. I'll make sure to credit you." Lorcan groaned in displeasure at the new nickname but behind her Rowan and Fenrys were losing it. 'Lorcy' having been the word to send them over the edge. 

She stepped aside to let him pass, mumbling quietly to herself that he ought to give Lyria some new material. Lorcan stopped short turning back to her with a new kind of rage in his eyes. Though she quickly realized it wasn't directed at her when he leaned in close and said in a low tone that Rowan and Fenrys wouldn't be able to hear "That bitch is unworthy of one second of my time, let alone my excellent taste in insults. She's probably the only person on this planet that I hate more than you right now."

Suddenly Aelin's smile become genuine. "Well at least we can agree on something." Lorcan left without another word, Fenrys following close behind him, but Rowan waited for her to catch up. 

"What did he say there at the end?" There was a mix of curiosity and worry in his eyes. She smiled wide.

"Oh nothing important. We were just finding some common ground. Gods he's pricklier than a cactus though. And he may actually hate me." She laughed as Rowan assured her that Lorcan hates pretty much everyone, but that he wasn't all that bad. 

  
  


***Aelin***

Later that night Aelin was again perched on Rowan's counter as he moved about the kitchen unpacking dishes and cutlery. She had been sneaking bites of his pizza every time he turned around until he gave up and grabbed a new piece from the box. He leaned against the counter next to her, taking a break to actually eat his own slice, and gave her a speculative look. All day he had been working up to ask her something and Aelin was tired of waiting. She turned until she was facing him. "Can I help you with something?" Rowan twisted his lips to the side, realizing he'd been caught.

"I want to ask a favor."

Aelin narrowed her eyes. "Will I have to move more heavy boxes?"

"I promise there will be no heavy lifting involved."

"Will there be food?"

Rowan chuckled. "Dinner is included."

"Sold." 

Rowan turned to her, a shocked expression on his face. "You don't want to know what it is first?"

"Would you have asked if you thought it was something I would say no to?"

Rowan laughed. "No, I probably wouldn't have." He dropped his head into his hands, rubbing at his temples. "I have to go to Lorcan's wedding next month and I'm dreading having to find a date."

Aelin groaned. "Eeewwwwww! No. Noooooo, no no. No thank you."

"You already agreed," he reminded her.

"Yeah but Lorcan? Like the Lorcan from earlier? Mr. Grumpy Gus himself?"

"Yes. Grumpy Gus himself. And you have to be fancy. It's black tie only." 

Aelin leaned back against the cupboard and groaned. "Could you just kill me instead?"

"If I did that I still wouldn't have anyone to go with. They thought I was bringing Lyria so if you don't go I'll be the awkward person with two dinners and an empty chair."

She shot back upright. "Oh come ooooon. That's not even fair."

Rowan smiled, sensing that he was going to win. "So you'll go?"

"Of course I'm going." After a moment she added "but you owe me! Any favor at any time I decide!" Rowan just nodded his head with a pleased hmm before returning to the unpacked boxes.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

***Aelin***

"Do you even come home over the weekend anymore?" 

Aelin turned away from the beaded dress she had been inspecting to glare at Lysandra. It had been almost two months since Rowan moved into his apartment and each of the weekends since, she had spent curled up on his couch reading and keeping him while he fixed up bits and pieces of Vaughn's apartment, or sat next to her and watched a movie. It was comfortable and easy. And so much more relaxing than trying to avoid Chaol at the bar with Lysandra. Even so, she came home at a respectable hour every night and didn't even bother to leave her apartment during the week. 

Lysandra laughed at Aelin's scowl and held up another dress for her approval. The wedding was three days away and Aelin had yet to find the right dress. Though, as Lysandra had made sure to mention, it wasn't very surprising since she had put off dress shopping to stay later with Rowan. It seemed like the more time she spent around him the harder it was to leave. His presence in her life had become something of a balm to the pain and anxiety that Aelin had been carrying for the last few years. She had only begun to notice recently. She always thought about Sam more at this time of year and when Rowan was around it was like she'd taken an aspirin for an old injury. Thinking about Sam didn't hurt as bad as it used to. It didn't leave her feeling alone or like she couldn't breathe without him. Lysandra cleared her throat and shook the dress in front of Aelin again, snapping her back from her thoughts. 

"Sorry," she said taking a look at the dress Lysandra was holding. She shook her head. "I don't like the neckline on that one. What do you think of this one?" Lysandra shook her head at the beaded dress Aelin held up. 

"Too poofy. You need less birthday party and more bombshell. You have a man to impress." Aelin groaned and put the dress back. She usually loved to shop, but she just wasn't finding what she wanted and she couldn't entirely disagree with Lys. Some part of her really did want to blow Rowan away, even if they were just friends. She moved to the next rack, glumly thumbing through the dresses.

"There's nothing here, Lys. I may as well just go naked."

"Well it would certainly make an impact… What are you so nervous about? I thought you were just going as friends."

"We are. It's just… I don't know, it's Lorcan's wedding, and all his friends and coworkers will be there and I want to make a good impression." 

Lysandra's eyes softened. "Let's try one more store."

"Lys, we've been to three stores already. I'm not going to find anything. I'll just get the blue one we found at the last place." Lysandra started to nod her head, but a stout woman stepped out from behind a nearby rack. She was short and plump, and her dark hair, piled into a bun on her head, was streaked with grey. 

"Excuse me," she implored. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I think I may have just the thing for you." 

Aelin started to protest, having already made up her mind to give up, but Lysandra stepped in before she could. "She would love to. Aelin go to the dressing room." The woman happily bustled off, disappearing behind a curtain at the back of the store. Aelin narrowed her eyes at the demand. "What could one more dress hurt Aelin? It's practically that woman's job to find you the perfect dress. We probably should've asked her sooner."

Though she didn't have much hope for it being 'the dress,' Lysandra was right. It wouldn't kill her to try one more, so they slipped into a dressing room and waited.

After a few minutes the woman shuffled in carrying a single red dress draped over her arm. She held it up and helped to slide it over her head. The silk slid across her skin, and fell to the floor.

"Oh Aelin…" Lysandra said, "This is the dress you need. If you want to blow his mind… that's the one."

As she turned to the mirror her breath caught in her chest. The red silk may as well have been painted onto her skin, it fit so well. "I'll take it." The words were barely a whisper. She turned and took in the woman. "You are better than a fairy godmother. I was about to give up." She slid the dress off of her body and handed it back to the woman. 

"Well thank you. I have been at it for 23 years you know. I've never been wrong, either." She winked and smiled before leaving Aelin to get dressed. 

  
  


***Rowan***

"Lyria wants child support." Rowan shoved his phone back into his pocket and slapped an orange helmet onto his head as he walked back onto the site. Fenrys turned back to him, dropping his hammer onto the concrete foundation beneath his feet. 

"Bullshit. She's insane." Rowan nodded his head moving back into place along the framework they were assembling. "You're sure it can't yours?" Rowan nodded again, but this time he also sent a glare toward his friend. "Can you make her take a paternity test?"

"She's apparently not far enough along yet. My lawyer says she can get the test done in two weeks, but it could take up to twelve for the results to come in. I'm apparently going to be legally married for another three months unless I agree to make child support payments." Rowan scrubbed a hand over his eyes. "Gods, I almost just want to give in to get rid of her. The test will still come through eventually."

"I don't know man. I've got a bad feeling about it. If she gets you to admit to even the possibility that it's your kid, I don't think she'll ever give that up. You'll end up tied to her and whoevers kid that is for the rest of your life, and I have no doubt that's her goal with all this anyway." 

Rowan knew he was right. He just wished he knew why. He loosed a melancholy sigh. "It would be a lot less irritating if she would stop harassing Aelin at work." 

"Gods she's still doing that?" Fenrys asked in a disbelieving tone. He had come around to visit a few times while Aelin was there and they had become friends nearly as fast as she and Rowan had. 

"Nothing too harmful. And Aelin doesn't seem to mind too much. She told me this morning that Lyria must have bought a thesaurus because she was "finally bringing creativity to her vocabulary." He snorted a laugh and pulled his phone back out to show Fenrys the picture that she'd sent that morning. It was a shot of the wall of her cubicle behind her computer monitor. In perfectly straight, organized rows every post it note, each adorned with a petty insult, were pinned to the wall. She had even retrieved the few she had thrown away from the first week, barely managing to catch the janitor before he took her recycling at the end of the first week. The best part was by far the center, where she had indeed placed the 'homewrecker' post it in an ornate frame.

Fenrys cackled. "Atta girl!" Then turned curious eyes on Rowan. "Speaking of whom… when are you gonna make your move?"

Rowan was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"On Aelin. When are you gonna ask her out?"

"Did you not just here me say I'm still married for three more months?"

Fenrys scoffed. "Semantics. And besides you need a date for Lorcan's wedding. Remelle is in town."

Rowan groaned at the mention of his ex. Every time he visited his family in Doranelle she would try to convince him to get back together with her, even after he had married Lyria. She was relentless. "How did she even get an invite? Lorcan hates her." 

"It would seem she convinced Essar to bring her as a plus one when she heard about you and Lyria. So again, you need a date for this wedding tomorrow."

"Aelin is already coming to the wedding." Fenrys's face lit up in an evil grin that had Rowan quickly adding "As a friend."

"As a friend huh?"

"Yes. Just a friend." Though if Remelle thought differently and left him alone, he definitely wouldn't be inclined to correct her.

Fenrys's face took on a more serious expression. "If I promise not to give you shit about Aelin at the wedding will you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Vaughn needs a hand up North for three weeks to help lay some foundation. I was planning on going, but we just got a date for Connall's heart surgery and it's two days after I'm supposed to leave."

Rowan's face softened at the mention of his friend's twin. "Yeah man. Of course. Don't worry about it." Connall had worked on their crew until he collapsed in the middle of a work shift from a heart defect he didn't even know he had. There wasn't much that anyone on the crew wouldn't do to help the twins out.

"Thanks man. I'll let Lorcan know before we head home."

Rowan turned back to his work with a small frown, realizing he would soon be spending almost a month away from the one person he wanted to keep close.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a wedding! :D

Chapter 7

***Rowan***

The next day Rowan stood outside Aelin's apartment door tapping his fingers nervously against his leg. He hadn't allowed himself to consider the possibility of anything but a friendship with her, shooting down every stray thought about her that wasn't strictly friendly, even if some part of him knew it was a futile effort. 

That is until Fenrys had gone and blown the door wide open with his implications. Now he couldn't think of much else beyond the gorgeous blonde who's door he was staring at. But even if Fenrys had been right about his own feelings, it didn't mean he knew Aelin's, and Aelin had given him no reason to think she wanted anything more from him than what they had. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

It was like the gods were playing a cruel joke, like the dress she had chosen was tailor made to torture him. His eyes trailed up the floor length red silk gown, taking in every dip and curve where it hugged her body, over the high neckline that gave a false sense of modesty, before finally settling on her face and the deep red lipstick that had Rowan thinking of all the places he could beg her to smear it. No. Boundaries. There was too much to lose where Aelin's friendship was concerned. Even so, he had to bite back a moan as she turned, revealing her nearly bare back. Only a delicate sparkling chain trailed across her lower back, connecting the two edges of the dress. His jaw was practically on the floor and for the first time in his life he physically felt his knees go weak. 

He only snapped back reality when Aelin cleared her throat. She smirked up at him, clearly having received the response she was after. "Ready to go Prince Charming?" She didn't wait for an answer, sweeping past him toward the elevator.

It was as if the very air he had been breathing decided to follow after her. He tugged gently at his collar and took a shallow breath gathering himself before stepping in after her, and once inside, as if he wasn't fully in control of his body, he stepped in closer to her. He wasn't touching her, but had drawn close enough that she had to tip her head back to look at his face. Her smirk faltered only long enough for her to breathe a surprised gasp.

Summoning every ounce of confidence he had left, he said, "If my reaction at the door didn't make it clear, you look stunning, Aelin." 

Smirk firmly back in place, she said, "I know." She reached up to straighten his bowtie, fingers grazing along the inside of his collar. It took everything Rowan had to keep his hands at his sides. Gods he wanted to touch her, to push her against the wall of the elevator and feel her lips on his. "You clean up pretty nice too buzzard." Did her voice always sound so breathless? Her eyes flashed up to his and he could've sworn they were flames dancing behind them. Somewhere in the back of his head a small part of him was screaming about boundaries, but standing so close to her was intoxicating. Her eyes were practically burning into his soul. Any protest in his mind went quiet. Just as he began to lean toward her the elevator doors opened and he snapped backward stepping away slightly. 

He looked back down at Aelin offering her his arm. She shook off a displeased expression and flashed a quick smile as she took it. Rowan silently berated himself as they walked to the truck. He must've lost his mind almost kissing her like that. And Aelin hadn't looked all too pleased either, a confirmation that while she was clearly happy to have knocked him on his ass at the door, she wasn't interested in him as anything more than a friend. After Chaol, and considering the mess Rowan himself was currently in, it wasn't surprising. She had tried to keep her smirk, but Rowan had still felt the nervous energy radiating off of her. He flexed the fingers of his free hand and reigned himself back in. He could do this. He could respect the boundaries he had set for himself. Especially since she didn't seem to have much interest in him anyway.

***Aelin***

Aelin frowned as she wandered the hotel, trying to find her way back to the entrance where Rowan was waiting for her. The ballroom where the wedding would take place hadn't quite opened yet, leaving the guests to mingle for a few minutes at it's entrance, and forcing Aelin travel into the other half of the hotel to use the bathroom. 

She didn't mind. It gave her a moment to contemplate the heated elevator ride she had shared with Rowan earlier. From the second he stepped in close to her, her skin had begun buzzing. Saying he cleaned up nice was an understatement. He looked so good she felt like he had turned into a magnet and was pulling her in. And the way he had looked at her… somewhere between wanting to drop to his knees in front of her and wanting to devour her completely… had her blood heating within seconds. She could have sworn he was about to kiss her when those damn doors interrupted them. But she must've been wrong, because ever since they had passed into the lobby of her building it had been as if nothing happened. Any hint of tension disappeared, replaced by a comfortable and familiar friendliness, though perhaps with a hint more distance and formality than they had gotten used to. She had brushed off her disappointment and fallen back into their friendly banter. She was almost sure she was right about the elevator, but after everything he had been through with Lyria, everything he was still going through with Lyria, she knew that one heated look in an elevator didn't mean he was ready to jump back into anything. 

A small sound traveled out of one of the rooms nearby. She had been so lost in thought that she had somehow ended up in a hallway of guest rooms. A sign at the end of the hallway pointed toward the lobby and she was about to rush toward it when another sound traveled out of the room to her left. It was definitely a sob. Aelin paused. The wedding was about to begin. She had to get back and it really wasn't her business. A third sob had her turning toward the room and gently knocking on the open door. "Is… is everything okay in here? I couldn't help but hear you from the hallway…." Aelin peeked around the doorway to find a beautiful, dark haired woman in the poofiest wedding gown she had ever seen. It was hiked up on one side to reveal an ankle mangled with brutal scars. The woman was desperately clinging to a support brace that had clearly broken. "Um… are you…" Shit. She didn't know the bride's name. "Are you marrying Lorcan today?"

The brides eyes snapped up. "Oh gods… look at me. Did they send you? Am I late? I'll only be a minute. I… who are you?" She was frantically dabbing at her eyes, trying to compose herself. 

"I'm Aelin… I'm here with Rowan Whitethorn… Is there anyone I can get you… or… anything I can...fix?" She gestured to the brace, though she could see from her spot in the doorway that it was beyond repair. Elide looked down at the brace and tried to stifle another sob. "Maybe just tell me what's wrong?" God's she wished she had her phone. Rowan probably thought she had abandoned him. 

The woman sniffled. "Elide," she said, gesturing to herself. "Everything was perfect until this damn thing broke. I can walk without it, but with the dress… I barely made it out of the room before I was tripping over it. I'm gonna fall flat on my face in the middle of the aisle."

"Who's giving you away? Can you lean on them? I can go get them to help you get to the ballroom…"

"No," Elide interrupted. "I'm walking alone. Other than Lorcan and Manon… I don't really have anyone…" Aelin took in the bride and her situation and the wheels in her head began to turn. Oh Rowan was not going to like this idea. She couldn't help the hint of a smile that graced her face at the thought. "Elide, wait here. I'm gonna make sure you make it down that aisle, and you're going to look beautiful and graceful as you do!" Elide gave her an unsure smile, but without many other options, she didn't argue.

***Aelin***

Aelin's eye caught on Rowan the second she stepped into the foyer. He stood a head taller than anyone else in the room. Nearly everyone had found their seats in the ballroom and a tense chatter echoed through the room as everyone murmured about where the bride might be.

Relief broke across Rowan's face as he saw her and he immediately stalked toward her. "Thank the gods, Aelin I thought you might've been mad enough to leave."

"No, no I just got… wait mad? Why would I be mad?" Rowan's cheeks flushed and he began to stammer something out, when Aelin cut him off, suddenly remembering the task at hand. Waving her hands as if to brush away the words he hadn't quite formed yet she said "We have to save the wedding."

At that Rowan stopped completely, brows furrowing together in confusion. "Wait, what?" Aelin had already grabbed his hand and was pulling him toward the hallway she had emerged from. "You have to walk Elide down the aisle." 

He pulled against her grip. "Aelin, no."

"Aelin, yes." She corrected him. "I'm practically saving your job right now. Lorcan would definitely fire you if you didn't help him get married. He's that mean."

"First off, that's ridiculous. Second… what the hell is going on?" He gently gripped her arm and pulled her to a stop. "What are you talking about?" 

She quickly explained Elide's situation and what she needed. Rowan groaned, but she could tell she was winning him over. "Come on, Rowan! Save the wedding! You look so good in your tux that everyone will think you were part of the wedding party anyway!"

"I hate this," he grumbled at her. Aelin pasted on her best pout. He raised an eyebrow at her and grumpily twisted his mouth to the side. "Lead the way Princess." Aelin's face lit up with glee as she trotted ahead of him back to Elide's room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mild mentions of abuse

Chapter 8

***Aelin***

She had slipped into her seat just as the music began to play, having stopped only to tell Elide's maid of honor to stall for a minute. She had nearly snorted when the stunningly beautiful white haired woman excitedly asked if Elide was going to run. They had instantly bonded over their mutual dislike for Lorcan, who's eye she was now trying to catch. 

"ITS OKAY. SHE'S COMING." Aelin silently mouthed the words when he finally looked in her direction. Fury flashed across Lorcan's face as he realized that Aelin had somehow affected his wedding. She flashed him a thumbs up, which did not help, but before he got angry enough to actually do anything the double doors opened at the back of the ballroom and everyone stood and turned to see the bride. 

Unlike everyone else, it wasn't the bride that held Aelin's attention. She noted the way his muscles tensed where Elide held his arm and how the fingers of his free hand clenched and unclenched as they always did when he was nervous. His eyes were sweeping the crowd and she saw a tiny hint of panic, until they met her own and the hard lines of his face softened into a reserved smile. His eyes didn't leave hers until they'd passed her row. At the end of the aisle Rowan gently squeezed Elide's hands, before passing them on to Lorcan, who appeared happy, if somewhat confused at Rowan's sudden appearance in his wedding party. After quickly clapping Lorcan once on the back, he fled the stage, silently sliding into his seat next to Aelin. 

Her heart rate jumped as his leg brushed against hers, but he quickly adjusted and moved it away. She tried to keep the disappointment off her face, but just in case, she kept her eyes forward, marvelling slightly at the soft smile on Lorcan's face, so similar to the one she had seen when Sam used to look at her. The ceremony was beautiful and by the end of it, tears were calmly flowing over Aelin's cheeks. Sam was at the front of her mind smiling and waving as he boarded a plane and he was grateful for the excuse that everyone cries at weddings.

She fumbled through her purse, looking for a handkerchief, but before she found it, Rowan had moved into a crouch in front of her. His warm fingers pulled at the edge of her jaw, drawing her face up from her lap. He gently brushed his thumbs under her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup. "So sappy Aelin. Crying at a wedding." His smile was soft and in his eyes Aelin could see that he somehow knew where her mind had gone and what had actually caused her tears. He brushed a hand along her cheek, adjusting a piece of hair that had fallen out of place and then waited in front of her, blocking her from the view of any passer bys that might be milling about on their way to the reception. He stayed there one hand against her cheek, masked concern barely shining through, until the tears stopped welling and her breathing was even, if still a bit shallow. She said a silent prayer that he couldn't detect the way her heart raced, or that he would at least attribute it to her being upset, rather than an effect of his hand against her cheek. He ran his thumb along her jaw one last time before his hands left her skin. They seemed to resist, like magnets being pulled apart. He stood and held out a hand to pull her to her feet. "Come on," he said a tentative grin pulling at his lips. "I think there's food in the next room."

Aelin laughed. "Good, because I'm starving and I was beginning to think you were handing out empty promises." His eyes warmed, clearly pleased that she had perked back up enough for sass.

  
  


***Rowan***

Rowan scolded himself for what must have been the hundredth time of the evening. It was like a compulsion to touch her. Whether it was a quick brush of his arm against her own, or a more intentional hand on her lower back, leading her through the crowd. He wished he could blame the way she looked tonight, but he knew that the affectionate contact that had simply always been a part of their friendship had been subtly shifting into something new, and far less platonic. At least for Rowan it had. 

She had gone across the room to get a drink and he was so distracted watching her laugh at something the white haired maid of honor had said, that he didn't notice Remelle's approach until she was running her hand possessively up his arm. He caught hold of it as she reached his bicep and firmly removed it, stepping away from her. "Remelle. I heard you were in town." The words were tight. 

He redirected his attention away from Aelin, but the effort went unrewarded as Remelle said "I thought you didn't like blondes anymore, Rowan."

"Oh it's really just a specific blonde," he muttered back at her.

"But we were so good together," she whined. "Now that you're divorced I figured you might be ready to come home." Rowan huffed a bitter laugh at the idea that Remelle might somehow be a better alternative to Lyria. The two women were evenly matched as far as maintaining a healthy relationship was concerned. 

Remelle reached toward him again, but this time he caught her hand. "Don't touch me."

She looked like she might try again anyway, taking a step toward him. He stepped back and before Remelle could move again Aelin was there between them, having slipped into such a small gap that her body was nearly pressing against his. Her drink was nowhere to be seen. She snagged his hand from his side and as if Remelle weren't even there she turned up to meet his eye and said "Dance with me?" He didn't hesitate to follow her, refusing to spare even a glance back at Remelle. Once again, Aelin had saved him from the unwanted attention of an ex. He shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips, and thanked the gods that she had not licked his neck again. If she had he knew his resolve would have crumbled entirely. Even just pulling her close to dance with her had the edges of his self control fraying. 

"So who's the pretty blonde with no boundaries? You trying to replace me already?" The smirk she wore didn't quite mask the hint of tension in her eyes. 

"You," Rowan said, cursing himself even as he leaned down to place a kiss on top of Aelin's head, " are irreplaceable. And you seem to have made a habit of saving me from women I'd rather not share air with."

Aelin peeked at the angry woman who was undoubtedly still glaring daggers at them as Rowan absentmindedly twirled them around amongst the other couples. A wicked smirk flickered to life on her face. "How many evil ex wives do you have?"

"Just the one." He chuckled. "Remelle… Remelle was a mistake I made in college." He narrowed his eyes, "and that's all you need to know about it." Aelin twisted her face into a pout, but her eyes were still glowing. After a moment he added, "but thank you for coming to my rescue yet again."

Her nose scrunched up in a snarl. "She kept touching you. You asked her to stop and she… just…." a flood of different emotions flickered on her face as she left the words hanging in the air. Her anger was easy to identify, perhaps even a hint of jealousy, but beneath it all, barely even there, was a panicky kind of fear that cracked his heart in two. Quiet, simmering rage began bubbling through his veins as he considered the possibilities of what might have happened put that look in her eye.

"Aelin." When she didn't look at him he gently tilted her chin until she met his eye. He wasn't ready for the pain she had tried to hide. "Did Chaol…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question, unsure how he would react if the answer was yes, but it was surprise that crossed Aelin's face as she answered.

"No! Gods no. I mean he wasn't always necessarily nice to me, but he would never… No." Rowan loosed a small sigh of relief, but the feeling quickly faded as she said, "I had a foster father, after my parents passed away. He… called it 'self defense training'. And in some twisted ways it was, I could probably knock out most of the men in this room… but mostly… mostly he just liked hurting people, controlling them."

Rowan took a tense breath, tightening his arm around her waist protectively. "You said you were only eight when your parents passed…" 

She nodded her head. "I left as soon as I turned eighteen." Noticing the look of devastation on his face, she reached up and pinched his cheek. "Oh, cheer up Buzzard. It's not all so bad. In some ways I'm even glad for it. I actually kept up most of the training regimen after I left. I like knowing that I can defend myself. We could even spar sometime. I bet you might even be a challenge." He spun her around before pulling her back in and forcing a smile onto his face. Still he couldn't help but pull her in slightly closer as if he could somehow protect her from her own past. Her hand moved from his shoulder to the hair at the back of his neck, sending a shiver down his spine. "Tell me who taught you to dance, Prince Charming." 

Rowan's smile softened. He was fully aware that she was still trying to distract him, and as her fingers began to nervously twist and tug at his hair he had to admit it was working. "My mother taught me when I was a teenager, so that I wouldn't embarrass my homecoming date. She was so impressed by my very basic waltz that I went home and asked my mother to keep teaching me. Teenage me was convinced that it would help me get a girlfriend."

"The girl you took to homecoming wasn't your girlfriend?" 

Rowan laughed. "No. We were friends. She actually went with me because she had a crush on Lorcan and he already had a date." Aelin's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"Wait… you went to high school with Lorcan?"

He nodded. "And Fenrys and Connall too." The dumbstruck look on her face was adorable.

"And this girl had a crush on Lorcan? Over you three?" She shook her head. "Well clearly she just had poor taste in men. Especially what with your considerable dancing skills." She winked up at him and Rowan chuckled.

"You can ask her if you want, she's right over there." He nodded in the direction of Essar. "Though you might be right considering she's the one who brought Remelle along."

Aelin's eye flicked in the direction of the two women before settling back on Rowan. "You have terrible taste in women," she declared with a laugh. 

Rowan twirled her around and said "I'd like to think it's improving," before smoothly dipping her low. 

  
  
  


***Aelin***

The rest of the wedding went smoothly. Any awkwardness between Aelin and Rowan had passed early on and they had easily settled back into their usual banter. Remelle, to Aelin's delight, had gotten fed up and left before they'd even finished dancing, though Aelin couldn't say for sure how long they had been on the dance floor lost in conversation. 

She had also found two new friends in Manon and Elide. They had made loose plans to meet up for a thank you dinner, at Elide's insistence, sometime after she returned from her honeymoon. Even Lorcan had managed a clipped thank you after Elide explained what had happened. Overall it had been a lovely evening. Even finding out about Rowan's upcoming three week absence hadn't ruined her mood completely. Even so, as she lay in bed that night Aelin couldn't stop her mind from drifting back to the elevator and the shockingly strong disappointment she felt when Rowan had stepped away from her. Until that moment she hadn't realized how much her feelings for Rowan had shifted, and now it seemed she couldn't manage to think of anything else.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

***Rowan***

"So you're seriously still going to tell me you don't have a thing for her? Even after the wedding?" 

Rowan didn't even bother to look up from where he was wrapping his hands at the edge of the boxing ring. "Still married Fen," he said, annoyance clear in his tone. Fenrys had spent every spare moment for the last week trying to convince Rowan to make a move on Aelin, and every time he had calmly reminded him of the shit storm that his life had become. 

"That isn't your fault though," Fenrys replied as he began their normal warm up routine. It was true. If it were up to Rowan they would've been able to settle matters in a day. He had offered up nearly everything, only insisting on keeping his truck and half of their shared savings account. Lyria, however, seemed content to draw out the process as long as she could. He just couldn't figure out why she would want to. It wasn't like they'd been happy through the last few years and what she had said to Aelin about him wanting to be a father was even more confusing. Rowan finished stretching and realized that Fenrys was still talking.

"What?" Rowan shook his head and hopped from foot to foot, raising his hands to signal that he was ready.

"I said she's hot, Whitethorn, and obviously wants you for whatever reason." Rowan's stance faltered, so shocked by Fenrys's statement that he didn't even register the first hit until it connected to his jaw. "Oh shit! I thought you said ready!" 

Rowan pressed gently along his jaw and shook off the hit. It would bruise but nothing broke. "Did she say something to you?" He brought his hands back up and nodded at Fenrys to start again.

Fenrys threw another punch, this time Rowan easily dodged it. "No, but it's obvious."

Rowan was already shaking his head, thinking of the discomfort on her face when they left the elevator. "It's not like that Fen. She's not interested." Rowan twisted away from another punch, taking the opportunity to land a hit to Fenrys's ribs. "And even if she was, she deserves better than to be thrown into the middle of a messy divorce. It's bad enough that she's already had to deal with Lyria at work." Rowan brought his hands up up to block his face from three fast jabs then used the pause as Fenrys pulled back to land a knee just above his hip. He was breathing hard as he said "I'm not gonna add my baggage to that." He popped back into a punching stance but Fenrys had dropped and hooked a foot behind Rowan's ankle. Before he could adjust, Fenrys gave a sharp tug sending Rowan crashing to the ground.

"You're a dumbass man." Fenrys wiped sweat from his forehead and waited a moment for their breathing to even out before continuing. Rowan stayed in place on the floor. "Everyone at that wedding could see it except you. She looks at you like the sun shines out your ass Whitethorn. It's disgusting." He paused, and the humor left his face. "She told me about Sam you know. Not much, but… enough." Rowan's brows rose and he lifted himself into his elbows to look more directly at Fenrys. "The two of you have had happiness stolen from you for the last few years, but when you're together… I don't know how Aelin was before you two started hanging out, but Rowan I haven't seen you laugh like that since college. Why should you two have to wait to be happy after all the shit you've been through?" 

Rowan stared at Fenrys. He didn't know what to say and he certainly hadn't thought Fenrys cared that much about how he was doing. Rowan knew he had been pissed at Lyria, hell even Lorcan cared enough to be angry at her, but this was a level of friendship he hadn't realized had survived through the last decade. He was saved from answering by Lorcan's voice growling from the edge of the ring. "If you ladies need to have a heart to heart at least get off the mat. I'd like to get home to my wife before sundown." Rowan huffed a laugh and rolled toward a very sunburned Lorcan, Fenrys following quickly behind. They'd only returned from their honeymoon that morning, but no one was remotely surprised to see Lorcan back at the gym in time for his Saturday workout. 

"Good to see the honeymoon improved your mood Lorcan." Rowan clapped him on a red tinged shoulder with a light slap and reached for his water bottle, quickly dodging Lorcan's retaliation. 

He sent Rowan an appraising look. "What're you doing here anyway, Whitethorn? Aren't weekends reserved for the bitch queen these days?"

As if realizing it for the first time Fenrys quirked his head to the side. "What  _ are  _ you doing here? You leave tomorrow. Shouldn't you be hanging out with Aelin, making moony eyes and refusing to admit you have feelings for your new best friend?" Lorcan snickered. 

  
  


Rowan rolled his eyes. "Aelin," he sent a glare toward Lorcan, putting extra emphasis on her name, "said she was busy all weekend. We made plans to hang out when I get back." Both men stared at him with raised brows as he lifted the bottle back to his lips, pausing to say "It's three weeks not three years." 

Lorcan and Fenrys shared a knowing look. "So she has a date tonight then."

Fenrys nodded his agreement. "Yep. Definitely a date. And a hot one if it's taking up her whole weekend."

Rowan was already shaking his head. "No she would've said something…" 

"Think back on the last few months. What else would she be doing that you couldn't tag along on?" A pit began to grow in Rowan's stomach. He shook his head slightly. He was sure she would've told him. Fenrys just clapped him on the back. "Sorry man. Guess you missed your chance."

Rowan grumbled back at him, "I already told you. I'm not looking for a chance with her. I'm still-"

"Still married. We know." Fenrys and Lorcan interrupted in sync. Rowan rolled his eyes again.

"You're both the worst. I'm glad I leave tomorrow so I can take three weeks off from dealing with your shit." Lorcan and Fenrys snorted at each other, happy to have hit their mark, and Rowan glared down at his phone pretending to have just noticed the time. "I've gotta get home and finish packing. I'll see you guys later." Barely sparing them a wave, he grabbed his duffle bag and made his way toward his truck.

It was an excuse to leave and they all knew it. Rowan was notorious for being organized and early to everything. He'd finished packing everything the previous night and had been planning on staying for an extra hour since Aelin was busy, but Fenrys words had struck a chord and they stuck with him as he drove home. Fen was right. They had been nearly inseparable during the weekend for months now.  _ What else would she be doing if not going on a date? Who could it be with? Maybe someone from work… she talks about the boss's kid a lot…  _ The thoughts ran circles around his brain, interspersed with Rowan scolding himself.  _ We're just friends anyway. She has every right to go out. She doesn't have to tell you everything.  _ When he finally pulled into his parking spot he turned off the truck and leaned his head against the steering wheel. He bonked his head against it gently and pulled out his phone, quickly opening their text thread. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard, unsure what to say, when he noticed the time stamp on her last message. All of a sudden it hit him. She hadn't messaged him since the previous afternoon. He'd been so distracted getting ready to leave that he hadn't realized. Even the good morning text she usually sent after rolling out of bed sometime around noon was missing. He lowered the phone and turned off the screen. "Shit," he mumbled to himself as his stomach sunk. He had known she was going to be busy, had brushed it off at the time, but now… He slid his phone back into his pocket deciding it would be better if he didn't bother her and hefted his duffel bag up onto his shoulder. One day without talking to her wouldn't kill him. He could shower, go to bed early and text her in the morning before he left. It wasn't the best plan. It wasn't even a good plan; but he couldn't manage to work his way around the fear of finding out he had indeed been forgotten in favor of a date, so instead of acting like a well adjusted adult, he settled into a chasm of self pity.

As he crested the top of the stairs and his door came into view his heart stuttered. Every self deprecating plan he had made flew out of his mind as his eyes landed on Aelin, slumped against his front door.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

***Rowan***

Rowan could feel his heart pounding against his rib cage as he approached her, even as worry had his stomach sinking. She was sitting on the concrete in leggings and a zip up, golden waves of hair spilling out from the hood where her head was resting against her knees. Her arms were wrapped tightly around the front of her legs and she was sitting completely still. It was an unnatural state for Aelin, who was usually so vibrant and energetic. Something was very wrong. He could feel it as he walked toward her, like a sense of dread had permeated the balcony in front of his door.

He quickly shook out his hands, flexing his fingers against his leg and crouched down in front of her. Her eyes slowly lifted to meet his own and Rowan thought he might be consumed by the pain he found there, just as it seemed Aelin had been. "Hey," he said gently.

"Hey." Her voice was rough as if she hadn't spoken in days.

"Want to come inside?"

Aelin nodded and pushed herself off the ground, brushing dust from the back of her legs while Rowan unlocked the door and held it open for her. She made a beeline for her usual spot on the sofa, curling her feet up beneath her. 

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He could hear the worry in his own voice. He had never seen Aelin looking so small and vulnerable. She was usually a bastion of confidence and energy, but now everything about her seemed like it was shrinking, like she was pulling into herself. Rowan wanted nothing more than to soothe whatever ache was causing her so much pain.

He ran a hand through his hair as she slowly shook her head no. As curious and concerned as he was, he refused to push her. If she wanted to tell him, she would. "Okay," he said with a sharp nod. "Give me five minutes to shower off the gym, while you pick a movie, then I'll make something to eat. Sound good?" Aelin nodded absently and Rowan made his way to the bathroom. He moved as quickly as he could, hopping in before the water had warmed up and scrubbing away the sweat and grime from the gym. He refused to give himself time to think about what might have gone wrong that sent Aelin unexpectedly to his doorstep, but Fenrys's words lingered at the back of his mind, no longer marked by jealousy, but rather a violent streak of anger at whoever may have done something to upset the woman in his living room. He stuffed the line of thought back down and tried to remind himself that he didn't actually know what plans she had unexpectedly abandoned. Still, he couldn't rid himself entirely of the tension in his shoulders. He pulled the clean sweats and t-shirt from his gym bag and put them on, then stepped back into his living room.

Aelin had chosen something to put on, but didn't really appear to be watching it, so much as staring toward it. So, after placing the kettle and a sauce pot full of water on the stove, he swept past the fridge and cupboards of ingredients he usually used. Instead, Rowan made his way to the small spice cupboard near the wall that Aelin had claimed as her own the day he moved in, declaring that he had "no good food" and that she would just have to provide it herself. Rowan hadn't argued, silently pleased that she intended to spend enough time in his new home to even bother. He dug through the mess of plastic wrapped snack cakes and candies she had haphazardly emptied onto the bottom shelf until he found a box of Mac n Cheese buried near the back. The top shelf remained empty, as she couldn't reach it anyway. Still, she had insisted that his spices had no place in  _ her _ cupboard and had bought him a spice rack to mount on the wall above the stove instead. He smiled at the memory and emptied the box into the boiling water, then returned to Aelin's cupboard to try to find some of her tea. He made a mental note to organize it later, and dropped the bag into a mug of hot water. 

She had barely moved an inch when he walked back into the living room, but her eyes flicked up to his when he set the bowl in front of her, a glint of mischief and suspicion flickering in them. It was almost nothing compared to the raging wildfire he usually found in her gaze, but Rowan still found himself breathing a small sigh of relief at some sign of life coming back to her. 

"You made Mac n cheese?" She looked at him in disbelief. When he nodded she narrowed her eyes slightly. "What did you add to it?"

Rowan pretended to scoff. "I made it exactly as the box dictates."

Her brows rose. "I seem to remember you telling me that boxed mac n cheese is only for children with overworked parents."

He chuckled quietly. Only Aelin could be this suspicious of Mac n cheese. "I made an exception." She slowly took a bite, as if testing for poison, and a small smile fluttered across her face before quickly falling away. He settled into place next to her and twisted the top off of a beer he had tucked under his arm. "What are we watching, princess?"

"Penguins." She took a sip of her tea just as three little emperor penguins burst out of the ocean and slid along a sheet of ice. A smooth voice narrated their actions and gave small details and facts about their coloring and daily life. He was pleased to see that she was eating, taking small bites here and there between sips of tea, and though an air of melancholy still weighed heavy around her, the tension in her shoulders seemed to ease, and her breathing had slowed and become more regular. Within twenty minutes, the voice on the screen had lulled her to sleep against the arm of the couch. The sound of her softly snoring pulled Rowan's attention from the documentary. He could see the marks of exhaustion on her face in the deep purple smudges under her eyes and the tangled messy bun that barely contained her hair. She looked like she hadn't slept all week. Even her outfit was in more casual disarray than he was used to seeing her. The plain grey men's t-shirt was wrinkled and slightly too big falling to mid thigh over athletic leggings. He vaguely wondered if she had run to his apartment, trying to remember if he'd seen her car in the parking lot. It was ten miles one direction, but her normal circuit was eight and he remembered her mentioning that she liked to run when she was stressed. 

He sat staring at her, trying to puzzle out what could've brought her to the state she was in when a line from the documentary caught his attention. "Once a penguin has found their mate, they remain married to one another for life." The narrator went on to discuss the perilous journeys that would separate the birds each year, but Rowan was no longer listening as puzzle pieces began sliding into place in his head. Her sudden unexplained busyness this weekend, the lack of sleep, and the deep, overwhelming sadness that had clearly overtaken her. He even remembered her tears at the wedding and how he had just known they were for Sam. Even the shirt she was wearing had probably belonged to Sam. He cursed himself for not asking her the date of the crash months ago when she'd first told him about it. He quickly pulled out his phone and typed 'Sam Cortland' into the search bar to confirm his suspicions. Sure enough a news article describing the crash was the first result, marking the anniversary of Sam's death for the following day. 

He looked back toward Aelin. He should have seen it. Should've asked her more about why she was busy this weekend. She looked exactly like Rowan did every year on the anniversary of Lyria's miscarriage, when running himself ragged was the only way to find sleep. He carefully scooped Aelin from the couch and carried her into his bedroom. Once she was tucked in he slid back out and closed the door. He quickly cleaned up the living room, moving Aelin's discarded shoes to the shelf by the door and hanging her zip up hoody on the hook above them. Once the dishes were washed and dried he settled in on the couch and flicked the switch on the lamp. 

It was barely 8 pm but Rowan rarely had trouble falling asleep. What felt like seconds after he had drifted off, his phone lit up and began buzzing He quickly dismissed the unfamiliar number, sending the call to voicemail, but seconds later his phone was lighting up again. The same number lighting up on the screen. He answered tentatively, still somewhat expecting a telemarketer, when a panicked female voice came over the line before he even said hello.

"Rowan? Is this Rowan Whitethorn?"

The voice sounded familiar. "Yes, this is Rowan…" As soon as she began speaking again he realized it was Lysandra.

"Oh thank the gods! Is she there?! Is Aelin there?! I can't find her anywhere, she hasn't left her room in three days and then today I got home and she was just gone and she won't answer her phone!" She was nearly sobbing and Rowan only picked up about half of what she said.

"She's here Lys. She's okay." He rubbed at his eyes. Trying to shake off the drowsiness. A quick look at his phone let him know that what felt like seconds had actually been a few hours. It was nearly 1:00 in the morning. No wonder Lysandra sounded panicked.

"She's there?" He heard her breath catch.

"Yeah, she was at my door when I got home from the gym." After a moment he added, "She fell asleep on my couch and she seemed exhausted so I didn't want to wake her up, but I don't think she had you worried on purpose."

"Okay. Okay." She was more so saying it to herself as she calmed down than to Rowan. "Did she…" she paused as if trying to decide how much to say. "Did she say anything about S… about why she was there?"

"She didn't, but I figured it out, Lys. Everything's okay. She'll be okay."

"So you know about Sam then. She's planning on going alone tomorrow. She'll probably kill me for telling you and I don't know if she'll even let you… she might not even say anything and I know you're supposed to leave in the morning… Sorry. That's not my business. I just…" She paused for long enough that Rowan thought maybe she had hung up, but just as he was about to speak Lysandra voice filled the line again. "She shuts everyone out. She's done it every year and for 24 hours she won't talk to us, won't let anyone in her room. She goes to see Sam by herself and then she closes her door again for days. She doesn't even go to work for the few days surrounding his crash."

Rowan didn't think he was even breathing anymore. He certainly wasn't fighting off sleep anymore. Pain and dread twisted through his chest at the thought of Aelin so grief stricken that she ceased to function. He knew the feeling well. 

"I'll do what I can, Lys. But I don't know if I'll be able make any difference. She might just need more time."

He heard Lysandra sigh. "Maybe… but, she showed up at your door, Rowan. She lives with me and I haven't heard her speak for three days. I can hear her crying all night, screaming from nightmares, and she still won't let me do anything, but you… she showed up at your door. I don't know what's actually going on with you two, but it means a lot. That she's there, I mean. She's better since you came around. It's been a long time since I've seen her this happy." 

Rowan sat in silence for a long while after they hung up, letting Lysandra's words wash over him. He hadn't known what to say in response, how to explain that everything she was describing was backwards. Aelin had changed his life, was slowly healing those long ignored wounds that had been carved into his soul and he couldn't even get his own drama under control enough to keep it from affecting her. The idea that he was somehow doing the same for her hadn't really broken through his worry that he was pulling her down. In spite of all his denial, Rowan was fully aware that he wanted nothing more than to be the one responsible for putting a smile on her face for the rest of his life. 

He lifted his phone from the end table and opened his text messages. The text he sent to Vaughn was easy to type out. 

**Something came up for tomorrow morning. I won't get in till tomorrow night.**

The second text was harder to write. He read over it a dozen times before finally sending it off to his lawyer. 

**I'm out of town for the next three weeks, but I'd like to schedule a meeting with Lyria and her lawyer for the day after I get back to settle. I'm ready to end this.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Aelin***

The dull whir of Lysandra's coffee grinder pulled Aelin out of a deep and dreamless sleep. She tried to blink away the sleep from her eyes as she patted around the bed in search of her phone. The sunlight peeking in through the curtains meant she'd slept through the night, in fact she didn't recall having any nightmares. She didn't even remember going to bed. Gods she must have been out of it last night if she didn't remember getting in bed, but she'd been in worse shape on the anniversary of Sam's death the past few years, and hadn't slept through the night in over a week. Exhaustion must've gotten the better of her. She squinted toward the window and considered closing the curtains and going back to bed when it suddenly struck her.

Those were not her curtains, this was not her bed, and that was not Lysandra's coffee grinder. Aelin's eyes snapped open and she shot to an upright position. The blurry image of strong arms holding her aloft and tucking her in ghosted through her memory as she fully took in her surroundings and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Rowan's room, Rowan's bed she had slept in, and Rowan who had carried her to bed after she passed out on his couch during March of the Penguins. 

She let out a dull, humorless laugh. Of course she wouldn't have nightmares here, not with Rowan in the next room, sleeping on a couch that was definitely too short for his long frame, ready to chase them away. She pulled the comforter closer around her shoulders and breathed in the scent of his cologne. It was different from the one Sam had worn but so similarly comforting that it sent her heart fluttering. She readied herself for the crushing guilt that had often set in whenever she'd stayed over in Chaol's apartment. For whatever reason she continued to breathe easily. Her limbs didn't lock up. Panic didn't seize her as it had every other morning this week. She looked back to the sun gently casting patterns on her arms after a week of pouring rain. It was a perfect morning to go visit Sam and for the first time, she didn't want to go alone. 

She rubbed away the last bits of grogginess from her eyes and shook out her hair, combing her fingers through the tangled mess it had become overnight. The clock on the bedside table read seven am. If she was quick about it maybe Rowan would still have time before he left for Terrasen. She could always go back later in the day if she felt she hadn't gotten enough time, but now that she had made her decision it suddenly felt incredibly important that Rowan and Sam met in the only way they could. She shook off her nerves and opened the bedroom door before she could second guess herself.

"Hey…" she said from the entryway to the kitchen. 

  
  


"Oh gods, did I wake you? I'm so sorry! I can't think straight before coffee." He rubbed at his eyes, still glazed with drowsiness, and tried to run his hands through his hair, failing to tame the misplaced tufts thrown into disarray by sleep. He had no right to be that handsome while still waking up and on any other morning she might have told him so. 

Before her nerves could come creeping back in she blurted out the words. "I know you're leaving today, but I need a favor… I need you to come somewhere with me…"

"Anywhere," he answered without a hint of hesitation. Her eyes snapped to his and she read the recognition there. He knew. Whether someone had told him or he just figured it out on his own, Rowan knew why she had arrived unannounced and a complete mess yesterday.

"So you know then… that today is…" the words trailed off as she steeled herself to finish the sentence, but Rowan was already nodding his head.

"I know about Sam."

"And you still want to go with me?" Suddenly self conscious, she started to backtrack. "Are you sure? I know you're supposed to leave soon… I don't want to make you late…"

Rowan smiled softly and turned back to the counter. "I'm sure. I already let Vaughn know I'd be later than expected, and so long as I leave by four I'll get plenty of sleep before work. I'm yours for the day. Whatever you need." 

Aelin blinked away her surprise and gave a small smile to the friend who had become so much more without her really noticing it. "How did you know I'd ask?" 

He turned back to her, holding out a freshly brewed mug of tea and taking a sip of his own coffee before answering simply, "I didn't."

  
  


***Rowan***

"AELIN ASHRYVER GALATHYNIUS YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" Lysandra's voice echoed into the hall. Aelin froze in the doorway of her apartment as Lysandra rushed over to wrap her in a tight hug, tears already streaming down her face. "I got home from the bar and you were just GONE. And you wouldn't answer your phone! If Rowan hadn't had you I was about to call the police! I had to break into work and steal Rowan's phone number from Lyria's personnel file! Thank the gods she hasn't changed her emergency contacts yet!" 

Rowan chuckled from the hallway. So that's how she'd gotten ahold of it. They had stopped by on their way to visit Sam so Aelin could change into fresh clothes, but also so she could reassure Lysandra that she was okay. Her face had gone white as a sheet when he'd mentioned their late night phone call and he had never seen her finish a cup of tea so quick. She had practically pushed him out the door in her rush to see her roommate. 

Lysandra immediately let go of Aelin, allowing her to slip into the apartment, and began frantically wiping at her cheeks. "Rowan. You're here. I didn't see you. Sorry… about stealing your number…."

She paused and her expression shifted toward mischief as she reconsidered her words. "Actually, no. I'm not sorry. You've been hanging out here for months. You should've given it to me yourself."

"I'm so dreadfully sorry for this horrendous misstep Lysandra. How can I ever make it up to you?" She smirked at the dramatic tone he had adopted, but he didn't miss the worry in her eyes as they flicked toward Aelin's bedroom door. 

She ignored his question when she finally spoke again in a hushed tone. "He would've been happy for her for finding someone like you. The whole thing with Chaol… I think she was punishing herself in a way. She was lonely and she wanted to be with someone but she thought it was some kind of… I don't know, betrayal to Sam I guess? So she put up with Chaol's shit, because she thought she deserved it."

Rowan shook his head glancing toward the closed bedroom door. "I don't think you should be telling me this Lysandra. It's really not my business to know."

"Yeah whatever. Just… while you're gone try to pull your head out of your ass. I'm not about to lose my-" Lysandra slapped a hand over her own mouth to stop herself from talking. Her cheeks flushed a vibrant red, but before Rowan could push for more information, Aelin's door swung open. She had changed into jeans and a vibrant spring green t shirt. A dandelion yellow sweater was draped over her arm. She was a perfect match to the sunny spring morning they were about to venture into and in spite of himself and what they were about to do, Rowan's heart fluttered. Looking at Aelin's was like looking at the sun. Everything just seemed to brighten up when she was there. 

He swallowed the thought and cleared his throat as every other thought flew out of his head. "You ready to go?"

She nodded and turned to say goodbye to her roommate. "Sorry again Lys. I promise to leave a note next time, since we both know I'll forget my phone again." Lysandra cracked a smile and kissed her on the head then said goodbye and ushered them out the door with just a bit too much fervor.

  
  


***Aelin***

Aelin smiled at the confusion crossing Rowan's face as she hopped down from the truck and unlocked the padlock on a wide metal gate that stretched across the road. He hadn't questioned her directions as she led him out of the city and down a series of rural roads, but as she hopped back into the truck and directed him to continue on down the gravel road in front of them, she could feel him bursting at the seams with questions he was trying not to ask. 

She let him wonder a few minutes more as they rounded a bend in the road and pulled to a stop in a small wooded area that rested along the edge of a wide slow moving river. Aelin made a beeline for the one tree among them that was clearly younger than those around it. She knelt down and brushed away dirt and foliage from the simple stone slab at it's base letting her fingers trail along the words. 

Sam Cortland

Beloved

Finally she stood and turned back to Rowan. Gesturing to the young tree she said, "This is Sam now. After he was cremated I mixed his ashes into the soil and planted this tree. This was his favorite place." He moved to her side, taking in the tree and headstone, then the river and surrounding forest. 

"I can see why. It's beautiful out here. You chose well."

"Sam wouldn't have liked a cemetery. They're too manicured and morbid." 

Rowan paused a moment before asking, "What is this place? The sign at the gate said private property. Is it family land?"

"It's mine actually." Rowan's brows rose in surprise, but he waited for her to continue. "Sam knew the previous owners. He worked on their farm when he was a kid and they used to let us camp out here during the summer. They had been selling off portions of their land for a few years and when Sam died… I used the money that was saved for our wedding and the rest of my inheritance from my parents to buy it. This spot and the surrounding 15 acres are all mine." Rowan loosed a whistle as he looked around with renewed appreciation. "I want to build a house out here eventually. We always talked about leaving the city when we were ready to settle down somewhere. A stable too. I had horses when I was little and I've always wanted to raise some again."

"What's stopping you?"

She turned back toward him. "Money, mostly. I spent almost everything to buy the land so I've been saving up for a down payment on the house." She sent a mischievous grin his way. "Don't suppose you know a good construction crew that wants to cut me a deal?"

He chuckled. "You let me know when you're ready to build and I'll bring them out here by force." Rowan slid down to the ground and sat against Sam's tree facing the river. He patted the spot next to him and waited for Aelin to join him. Once she had he took her hand. "Tell me more about Sam. Start with your happiest memory." 

Aelin smiled joy and sadness mixing to create something else as she launched into a story about stealing Sam's lunch so he'd have to take her out on what they would eventually call their first date. 

They stayed for hours, Aelin laughed and cried through story after story about her and Sam and work and their relationship. When Aelin noticed the clock in her phone creeping past 3:00 they decided to leave, at her own insistence that Rowan not push his trip back any longer. "I'll give you a few minutes to say goodbye and wait in the truck then okay?" She nodded and waited for him to go before turning back to Sam's headstone. 

Tears were already gathering in the corners of her eyes as she laid a hand against the stone. "I miss you Sam, and I love you. I think I'm gonna be okay though. I found a friend and I really think you'd like him. I think he might be more than a friend if I'm honest. Not that he knows that." She paused to wipe fresh tears from her cheeks. "Gods I miss you. I'll be back soon." As she stood up and turned toward the truck, dappled sunlight shone through the trees warming the skin on her hands. She took a deep breath looking at the way the shadows moved and swayed, and for the first time in years she felt all the darkness she had been carrying melt away.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

***Aelin***

The first few days after Rowan left passed in a blur. Aelin was back at work Monday morning and had a backlog of reports from the few days she missed to keep her busy. As they had in previous years, no one mentioned her absence or asked about her weekend. Though for the first time since Sam's death Aelin thought she might not have minded if they had. It was like taking Rowan to meet Sam had unlocked a door inside of her and she was finally ready to walk through it. She was ready to exist in a world where Sam no longer did. The thought made her sad, but there was no longer any guilt attached to the idea of moving on. 

For probably the fifteenth time Aelin glanced at her keys where they sat in a bowl next to her keyboard. Before driving off on Sunday Rowan had given her the spare key to his apartment. "Water the plants," he had told her. Which was hilarious because all of his plants were fake. She had bought them herself on one of their weekend grocery trips because the lack of greenery in his apartment was appalling. When she told him as much he laughed at her and told her that since they were pretend plants, then she could pretend to water them. She knew he was really doing it to give her a safe place to hide, if she should need it. He couldn't avoid leaving for three weeks, but he still found a way to show support regardless. 

Aelin was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by her phone buzzing loudly in her desk drawer. She snatched it a little too quickly and felt her face fall as she saw that the text had come from an unnamed number. The disappointment vanished as soon as she opened it though.

**Hey! It's Elide from**

**the wedding! I was**

**wondering if you had**

**any nights free this**

**week for a thank you**

**dinner?**

**I'm free tonight**

**after work. Is that**

**too soon?**

**Tonight's perfect!**

**There's a diner down**

**the street from the hotel**

**we had the wedding at.**

**Meet at 6?**

**Sounds good!**

  
  


Aelin smiled at her phone, genuinely pleased at the day's turn of events. The clock on her phone said 4:45. She had finally caught up on the work she had missed and was distracted anyway, so she quickly packed up her desk and headed downstairs to kill a few minutes letting Lysandra know where she would be. 

She stopped by home just long enough to change into more casual clothes and managed to walk through the doors of the diner on the opposite side of town right at 6:00. Elide was already waiting at a table and waved her over as soon as she walked in the door.

"Well hello Mrs. Salvaterre!" Aelin smiled and slid into the booth. 

"Hello to you too! Though technically it's Mrs. Lochan. Lorcan had to take my name. He lost a bet." 

Aelin's jaw dropped. "But that means…." Elide nodded and her smile turned wicked. A sharp laugh escaped Aelin as the joke settled in. "Lorcan Lochan?" Elide nodded again giggling as Aelin collapsed into a fit of laughter. She couldn't control herself as she tried to marry the image of giant, grumpy Lorcan to his new name. She was practically wheezing and wiping away tears before she could settle enough to ask, "Do the guys know?" 

"Probably not. He usually handles all the paperwork and I doubt he would've told them."

"You just became one of my favorite people. You have no idea the kind of gift you've just given me!"

"Does it make us even for you saving my wedding?" Amusement was clear on her face 

"Oh no. I'm in your debt for the next ten weddings."

"Hahaha thanks but I think I'll keep the one I got."

"It's probably rude but I have to ask…. How does… how did you two… you seem so cool… and Lorcan is so…" Aelin scrunched her brow into a poor imitation of Lorcan's signature glare and raised her hands in an attempt to mimic storm clouds and thunder.

Elide just kept smiling as she answered. "Oh he's not as prickly as he seems. He saved my life actually! It's how we met!" Aelin's brows rose in surprise "Okay maybe saved my life is a tiny bit dramatic… but it felt like it at the time! I got separated from the group on a hike with Manon and a few of her friends. Lorcan just happened to be wandering the woods on his way back from a day spent kayaking and found me crying against a tree about half a mile away from the trail. We hiked back to the trail together and when we found Manon he told her off for letting me wander alone when I didn't know the area. She looked like she wanted to kill him, but before she could even open her mouth he had turned around and asked me to dinner. We've been pretty much inseparable ever since." Elide opened her menu and passed one to Aelin.

They spent the rest of the evening trading stories about their lives and childhoods. Aelin was surprised by how much they had in common. They had both grown up in Terrasen and lost their parents young, but while Aelin had been shipped off to a foster father in Rifthold, Elide had continued to live in Terrasen under the rigid commandments provided by her tyrannical and abusive uncle. 

When their dinner arrived they moved on to happier topics. Aelin gushed over the size of the waffles that had been brought over and went so far as to text Rowan a picture captioned "In case you forgot what a 'real' waffle looks like!" His reply was almost immediate.

**Shish-ka-waffs are real waffles! It's been months! Get over it princess! 😋**

Aelin snorted, prompting a curious look from Elide and launched into her own tale of how she and Rowan had met while they ate. By the time they parted ways, plans to meet again already in place, Aelin was certain that she had just made another life long friend.

  
  


***Rowan***

The end of his first week in Terrasen had arrived and Rowan wanted nothing more than to go home, flop on his couch next to Aelin and watch whatever random movie or show she had decided he just had to see next. She had been horrified when she found out just how behind he was on the last decades worth of pop culture and had taken it upon herself to bring him up to date. 

He used to love to travel, and Terrasen had been among his favorite places to go for work. There wasn't a single bad view from anywhere in Orynth, but the view from his hotel room was truly spectacular. Fields of kingsflame were blooming beyond the edge of the city, framed by the Staghorn mountains in the distance. To top it off, the setting sun was casting an orange glow over everything making the blossoms look like they truly had caught flame. It was truly beautiful and yet he still couldn't fully enjoy it. He knew he was practically driving Vaughn mad with his drive to finish the job, pushing the crew to the brink of exhaustion, and pushing himself even farther. He had even gone in on Saturday and prepped everything he could without an extra hand for Monday. He couldn't help it. For the first time in years, he just wanted to go home. The anxiety about his upcoming meeting with Lyria wasn't helping either. All together it resulted in Rowan sporting a foul mood, broken up only by the text messages he and Aelin sent back and forth before and after work and during lunch breaks.

Just before the sun dropped below the horizon, Rowan snapped a picture and sent it off to Aelin before flopping back onto the bed and reaching for his laptop. Before he even lifted it his phone was ringing.

"Are you staying at Oakwald Elite Suites?!"

Gods, hearing her voice was like unexpectedly hearing his favorite song on the radio. He wanted to get lost in it, sing along with it, tap his fingers to the familiar cadence of it.

"Rowan? Are you there?"

"Yeah! Sorry I'm here!"  _ I was just distracted because I miss you and wasn't prepared for the effect hearing your voice would have after only a few days.  _ He shook his head at his own thoughts and rubbed at his eyes. "What did you ask?" 

"I asked if you're staying at Oakwald Elite Suites?" 

"Yeah, Fenrys upgraded me as a thank you for taking the job."

"Row, you're like six blocks away from where I grew up! You can probably see the building we lived in from your window!"

"Wait really? Which direction?" He scrambled back over to the window, eyeing the buildings as if he could detect her lingering essence on one of them. 

"It would be…. Hang on… your room is facing the staghorns so… northwest…. That would put me….." He could practically see her right now, standing in her bedroom orienting herself in the right direction to work out which way he should be looking. "Look to your right. There should be three buildings right next to each other… we lived on the 18th floor of the shortest one. Do you see it?"

He found the building and counted the floors up to the 18th. "I think I found it. Hang on." He snapped a picture of the building and sent it. "Is that the right one?"

"Oh my gods! Thats it! That's where we lived! Okay perfect! So you found it. Now, next door to that building there is a bakery. They have the BEST chocolate croissants I have ever had and if you don't bring me home a box I will stab you. Do you understand?!"

Rowan laughed and leaned against the headboard of the bed. "I'll see what I can do."

"Hmmmm. Nope. Not good enough. You have to promise. Promise me chocolate croissants or else I'll force feed you boxed Mac n cheese! I'll dye your hair blue while you sleep! I'll hide your keys every time I'm in your house for the rest of your life!"

Rowan could barely breathe, he was laughing so hard. "Okay! Okay! I promise I will bring you the croissants!"

"Good! Now grab your laptop. It's movie time."

"What do you mean it's movie time? I'm 400 miles away remember?"

"It's Sunday, Buzzard. Sunday is movie night. There's no reason to stop this very important educational experience just because you're remote. Now go check your email. I sent you a watch party invite. You're gonna love this one."

Rowan groaned and reached for his laptop. He still hadn't recovered from watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians two weeks prior. The fact that it counted as popular tv was baffling and though she claimed that it was vital to his pop culture education, he was fairly certain she had only picked it as payback for making fun of her eating habits. Watching Aelin watch it however… that was more fun. He hadn't been able to help cackling along with her at every ridiculous turn. "What is it this time?" He opened his email and clicked the link.

"Mad Max."

"I've seen Mad Max."

"This is the new Mad Max."

"They made a new Mad Max?" He could hear her physically slap a hand against her face in exasperation. He couldn't keep the grin off his face as he settled in to bed and Aelin started to give commentary before the intro was through.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

***Aelin***

Aelin sipped drowsily from her hazelnut mocha, bouncing from foot to foot and watching people move past her. It was early enough in the morning that the airport wasn't crowded, and everyone that passed her seemed to move with a similar lethargy. For what seemed like the thousandth time since she had stumbled sleepily out of bed, she cursed herself for staying awake so late talking to Rowan after the movie. He had practically hung up on her when, around 1:00 am, she had casually mentioned that she had to be at the airport to pick up her cousin by 5:00 in the morning. She knew he was right, but it had been so nice to actually hear his voice and pretend for a few hours that he wasn't so far away, she just hadn't wanted to hang up.

From across the room she spotted a blonde head of hair bobbing in her direction and all thoughts of exhaustion disappeared as she took off at a sprint. Aedion barely had time to drop his bags before she threw her arms around his middle. Her feet left the floor as he spun her around once and unceremoniously dropped her back to the floor with a quick kiss to the top of her head.

"Where's Kyllian?! I thought you guys were both on leave this time." Aelin peered around her cousin, searching for the dark hair of his slightly shorter boyfriend. When she didn't find him, she looked back up at Aedion, confusion knitting her brows. He smiled at her but there was sadness behind it. "Kyllian isn't coming, is he?"

"No. He… we broke up. He wanted to reenlist and I was ready to come home." Aelin's face fell but Aedion grabbed her cheek and pinched it hard. "Don't make that face! It was mutual and we're both happy about it." 

Aelin smacked his hand away and was looking for any sign that he was less than okay when the other thing he said finally clicked. Her eyes went wide. "Wait, you aren't going back?! You're actually staying home this time?!" Aedion's grin widened and he nodded as Aelin launched into her next question. "Here or in Terrasen?!" 

"I was thinking I'd stay here for a while." He chuckled as Aelin launched herself at him once again squeezing so tight he had trouble breathing. "I thought you might like that plan. Though it means I might be on your couch for an extra week or two while I find a place." 

"I don't care! I don't care! Stay however long you want! I'm just happy you're here!" She finally loosened her grip but kept one arm locked around his waist as they walked back to her car. 

  
  


***Aelin***

The rest of the week seemed to fly by. Every moment that Aelin was home from work was spent catching up with Aedion on everything they had missed about each other's lives over the past few years. When Aelin had moved with her foster father, one of the first things he did was make sure to cut off contact between the cousins. Aedion had only been thirteen at the time. It wasn't until Aelin turned eighteen and left Arobynn behind that she had been able to start looking into what had happened to Aedion. By then he had already joined Terrasen's military and was deployed more often than not. They wrote to each other frequently after Aelin had first contacted him, but it wasn't until she had seen his head bobbing along in the airport that she knew she had her cousin back. After so many years apart they were still as close as they had been as kids. They were practically raised as siblings after Aedion's mom passed away.

Aedion's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "When's your super hot roommate coming home?" 

"Ugh gross!" Aelin threw a couch pillow at his head, but she was smiling warmly. Aedion and Lysandra's chemistry had been nearly instantaneous. To anyone who didn't know the two of them well it looked like they were mortal enemies, trading insults and fighting like cats. Aelin knew better. The second day after Aedion's arrival, after a particularly scathing comment from Lys, Aedion confidently declared that he was going to marry her someday. Lysandra scoffed but Aelin saw the twinkle in her eye. On the third day Lysandra cornered her in the shower asked point blank what she thought about it and when Aelin told her to do whatever would make her happy, she groaned and said that Rowan had made her go soft. Aelin hadn't bothered to argue. 

Aedion flopped onto her bed next to her and peeked over at the screen of her laptop. She had been scrolling through Netflix for the better part of an hour trying to find just the right thing for movie night but she wasn't having any luck. "You hunting for treasure Aelin? I swear you scroll through Netflix for fun. You never end up watching anything." She laughed at his befuddled expression and closed the laptop without explaining.

"Lys should be home any minute, but if she's your future wife you should probably figure out her work schedule." Aedion glared at her teasing and pinched her side, sending her toppling off the bed. 

"Rude!" She exclaimed in mock offense. "That's no way to treat a lady!"

"Good thing there are no ladies present."

Aelin scoffed and threw another pillow his direction. It was a direct hit, but when she popped back up he was distracted staring down at her phone where it was half buried under her comforter.

"I thought you broke up with the guy from work," he said casually.

"I did. Months ago." 

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "Interesting. So then who's Prince Charming?" He lifted the phone and turned it so she could see the text notification. '3 new messages from Prince Charming' glowed incriminatingly across the screen. Aelin swiped for her phone as she felt her cheeks flush. Aedion held it just out of her reach.

"No one! A friend! It doesn't matter! It's just a nickname!" She could feel her face burning red now as she turned feral and practically climbed over his body to snatch the phone back. The damage was already done. Her reaction telling Aedion everything he needed to know.

"Tell me! Tell me about the new boyfriend! I'm insulted that I don't already know!"

"He is not my boyfriend!" She was practically yelling. "He's just a friend! There's nothing to tell!"

Lysandra's voice rang out from the doorway, "Are we finally telling Aedion about your boyfriend Rowan?!" Aelin shot a death glare toward her friend.

"Rowan huh? Wait...Rowan…." Recognition lit the features of Aedion's face. "Is this WAFFLE GUY?!" 

Though Lysandra was already nodding vigorously at Aedion, Aelin locked her gaze on the woman's eyes. "No we are not telling my overbearing cousin about my  _ friend  _ Rowan "waffle guy" Whitethorn." She locked a scowl in place, but couldn't keep the smile out of her eyes. Lysandra had been teasing her about Rowan since they had met and she knew from experience that the second she showed signs of true distress Lysandra would shut it down completely. Aelin had been thoroughly taking her revenge all week over how smitten her roommate was over Aedion. 

"They're completely in love with each other and they're the only two people who don't realize it." Lysandra continued as if she hadn't heard Aelin. 

"Sounds about right," Aedion agreed. "Do you have pictures?"

Lysandra excitedly pulled out her phone and started scrolling through photos. Aelin knew months ago that she was going to regret inviting Lysandra out to meet Rowan and his crew but she hadn't wanted to chance running into Chaol alone with the guys and she knew he frequented the bar Fenrys had chosen. "Gods you two are the actual worst" she hissed as she began gathering up her laptop and shoes. "You were made for each other!" 

"But Aelin," Aedion called after her, struggling not to laugh, "he's super hot!"

Aelin managed to keep her scowl in place, even as mirth shone through her eyes. "Since you two are no better than animals, I am going to go water the plants, and if not for your inevitable engagement, I'd kick you out on your ass Aedion!" The two remained quiet, barely containing their teasing laughter until the door closed behind her. Loud raucous laughter spilled from around the cracks of the door, but it was Aedion's confused voice asking what the hell 'watering the plants' meant and Lysandra's reply of 'I have no fucking idea' that put a smile on her face as she left.

  
  


***Rowan***

Aelin was already talking when the video call connected, a rapid stream of 'I'm sorry I'm lates' rambling out of her as she swung a wooden spoon through the air. The phone must've been propped against something on the counter. A towel if he had to guess based on the way the sound was slightly muffled. He could only understand about half of what she said when she started talking so fast anyway, but caught something about snacks and traffic. Rather than try to piece together whatever she was saying, he just grinned and waited, taking in the image of the gorgeous blonde while she finished her tirade. Gods he missed her, and seeing her on the screen somehow made it both better and worse when all he wanted at that moment was to reach through the screen and tug on one of the braids that spilled over her shoulder. When she paused to take a breath he said "Hi Aelin. Nice to see you too." 

She paused for a moment, mouth open, before loosing the breath in a huff. "Hi." Rowan laughed as she realized she had been wielding a wooden spoon like a weapon and, with overexaggerated care laid it down on a familiar spoon rest. 

Rowan brows pulled together as he leaned toward the laptop and squinted. "Is that… Are you in my kitchen?"

Even through the video call he could see the flush creep up her cheeks. "Uuuh...yeah… Aedion and Lysandra were being super annoying so I'm watering the plants…"

Rowan grinned. "Well I'm glad you're getting good use out of your key."

She looked unsure. "Is it weird? I can go if it's weird." Her eyes dropped to the counter and she clutched the spoon again.

"Aelin." He waited for her to look back up so she could see that he was serious. "It's not weird. I wouldn't have given you the key if I didn't want you to use it, so use it. But if my plants are dead when I get home I'm taking it back!" 

She smirked and swung the spoon toward the camera, a smart response at the ready, but just as she was about to speak the spoon caught on a mug and sent a purple liquid splashing up the front of Aelin's shirt. "Shit! Shit shit shit!" She snagged a kitchen towel and began dabbing at the stain, but it was useless. She tossed the towel on the counter and threw her arms up exasperated.

Rowan covered his mouth with a hand to stop the laugh threatening to explode at the giant purple stain spreading across her t shirt. "Top left drawer." He managed to get out between laughs. She gave him a confused look, so he added "T shirts. Top left drawer of my dresser." 

"Oh, No that's okay… I can just…" she looked like she might start trying to wring her shirt over the sink.

"Aelin you're covered in… is that wine? Are you drinking wine out of my mugs? There are wine glasses right…" she gave him an exasperated look. "Whatever. That's not the point. Just go grab a damn t shirt before you dye everything in my apartment purple." He could see that he had won but she still flipped him off before disappearing from the frame. A moment later he heard a sharp laugh and then she was back. His shirt was huge on her, falling below the hem of her shorts and sliding off of one shoulder. He wasn't prepared for the rush of satisfaction he got from seeing her in it.

"You're a giant! I look like I stared down the wrong end of a shrink ray!" She started gathering the hem and tucking it into the waist band of her shorts.

His mouth was dry when he answered, barely managing to paste a smirk into place. "It's better than wearing your wine. You're supposed to water the plants not yourself."

Aelin had been busy with Aedion all week and forgot to find a movie, so instead they just talked while she lounged on his couch. She told him about her childhood in Terrasen, and about life after losing her parents. He told her stories about going to school with Fenrys and Lorcan, joining Wendlyn's military together, and how they all ended up moving to Rifthold when Lorcan called and told them he had the chance to build his own crew. She laughed when he told her that he jumped at the chance to move so he could get away from Remelle once and for all. He revelled in the sound of it and ached to be at home, sharing that couch. They talked until Aelin was drifting in and out of consciousness, slumping against the couch pillows. 

Rowan had been in the middle of explaining exactly what he was working on while in Terrasen, when a loud snore drew his attention back to the screen. "Aelin?" She didn't react. "Aelin!" He spoke louder, but she only released another loud snore and rolled away from the camera pulling a blanket over her shoulder. He laughed quietly and shook his head. The clock read 10:30. He tried one more time to wake her up before quietly saying goodnight and ending the call. 

Rather than putting his phone away, he scrolled to Lysandra's contact info. She answered on the second ring and loud 'SHHHH' crackled over the line. "Lysandra?"

" _Shh! Stop it Aedion! I'm on_ _the phone!"_ She giggled at something Rowan couldn't hear. _"No. It's not her. It's Rowan. Now shut up._ Hi Rowan. What's up? _No I won't give you the fucking phone!_ " 

Rowan chuckled as Aedion yelled belligerently from the background.  _ "Tell him he's hot!"  _ Rowan heard a hand slap over the microphone but it didn't do much to muffle the sound of Aedion yelling  _ "Tell him if he fucks with my cousin I'll kick his ass!"  _

" _ If you don't shut the fuck up I will kick your ass out of bed!" _ Rowan felt his eyebrows shoot up as Lysandra's attempt to whisper failed, but he kept his mouth shut and waited. "Rowan. Sorry. What did you need?"

"I was just calling to let you know Aelin fell asleep on my couch again so you don't worry if she doesn't come home." 

"Wait, what the fuck? When did you get home?"

"I'm not home. She was watering my plants."

"Ooooooooh. I should've fucking known." He heard her slap a hand over the microphone again.  _ "She's at Rowan's. _ "

Aedion's booming voice echoed into his ear.  _ "I thought he was out of town."  _

_ "He is out of town. Apparently she's been watering his plants." _

"Lys?" She was still talking to Aedion. He tried again with more volume. "Lys?"

"Yeah, sorry!"

"Does Aelin work tomorrow?" He already knew the answer, but was hoping to buy her some time to sleep in.

"Oh shit. Yeah. I'm going in early anyway. If she's not here when I get up I'll drop off some clothes on my way." He smiled. It was exactly what he was hoping she would say.

"Sounds good. Have a good night Lysandra. Aedion."

He chuckled as Aedion's voice rang out "Goodnight Prince Charming!" just as he hung up the call. 

He wasn't sure how they'd found out about the nickname Aelin had coined, but he smiled at the memories it brought up anyway and set an alarm before drifting off to sleep himself.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

***Aelin***

Aelin pulled her phone out from under her pillow and answered the call without opening her eyes. "It's too early for phone calls. Try again after my alarm goes off." She was about to hang up and toss her phone aside when Rowan's voice had her raising the phone back to her ear.

"Well Princess, considering that I  _ am _ your alarm clock this morning, I don't think that's gonna work." She paused, slowly opening one eye. For the second time in a month she was unexpectedly waking up in Rowan's apartment. 

"What happened?" She yawned and stretched drowsily, balancing the phone between her ear and shoulder.

She could hear the smile in Rowan's voice as he answered. "You fell asleep on the phone last night. I'm making sure you make it to work on time."

Work. The word clanged through her mind for a moment before settling. WORK. She pulled the phone down to check the time. "Oh gods! Its almost seven!"

"Aelin…"

"I still have to go home and get clothes. I'm not gonna have time to shower."

"Aelin."

"Rowan! Oh gods I have to go!"

"Aelin. Take a breath." She did. "There's an extra toothbrush in the cupboard in the bathroom." A few loud raps sounded against the front door. "And that is Lysandra with a change of clothes. You have plenty of time. Go make yourself some tea." She looked around the apartment as if she might find an answer to how this was all happening.

"You did all this just so I could get some sleep?" Her heart wrenched. It had been a while since someone had cared to do something like this for her. Sleepy tears threatened to spill from the corner of her eye. 

"All I did was call Lysandra." Another series of knocks echoed through the room. "You should probably let her in." He laughed. "You guys are probably about to have an interesting talk so I'll go, but have a good day Aelin. I'll text you later."

"I… uh… Thank you." She rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and turned to the door. "You have a good day too, Rowan."

Still fighting confusion, Aelin pulled open the door to the sight of Lysandra holding out a tote bag and wearing a wicked smile. "Good morning sleepyhead. Your clothes."

Aelin took the bag and moved aside to let Lysandra pass. She went straight to the kitchen, to take Rowan's advice and make some tea before the onslaught of teasing began. Lysandra followed her into the kitchen. She waited for the inevitable jokes, but none came. She peeked over her shoulder. "Don't have any jokes this morning?"

Lysandra placed a hand to her chest in feigned offense. "What could I possibly have to tease you about?" Aelin's raised a brow in her direction as she suddenly became very interested in her nail polish. "So…. Have you spoken to Rowan this morning?"

Aelin narrowed her eyes and the brunette. "Just before you got here. Why?" 

"Did he say anything interesting?"

"Not really…. But you're being super weird. What's up with you?" Lysandra wouldn't meet her eyes, choosing instead to stare at the kettle, the counters, the floors.

"So…. Don't be mad…." Aelin sucked in a breath, preparing herself for bad news as Lysandra continued in a rush. "So Aedion and I got kinda drunk last night and I don't know how I could do this to you and I'm so sorry but I fucked your cousin." Once the words were out Lysandra began chewing at her thumb nail anxiously.

Aelin sat stunned for a moment while her brain caught up with Lysandra's words and suddenly she slapped her hands over her ears. "EW! GROSS! I DONT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THAT!" 

Lysandra yelled back with equal fervor. "I'M SO SORRY IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, I SWEAR!"

Aelin paused and looked at Lysandra again. Her cheeks were red and she was resting her head against her hand. Aedion had been blunt about his interest in Lysandra and had been flirting with her all week, but Lys had repeatedly shot him down, even after their talk. She had decided to just stay out of it and let them figure it out. But now she wondered if Lysandra had been dismissive because she still thought Aelin wouldn't be comfortable with itl. "Lys." She peeked through her fingers at Aelin. "Do you want it to happen again?"

"I...uh...Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters!" Aelin threw up her hands and let them slap against her leg as if it was completely obvious.

Lysandra dropped her hand and leaned back against the wall. "I mean… yeah? Maybe?"

"Then you should… do that. Just don't give me any... _ details _ ." She put air quotes around the word. "I do NOT want to know about Aedion's sex life!"

Lysandra breathed a sigh of relief. "So you aren't mad then?"

"Lys I'm thrilled for you! If you and Aedion are happy, then I'm happy."

"Good, because I'm pretty sure you're wearing Rowan's shirt right now and it has been absolute torture not pointing it out."

Aelin looked down at the t shirt she had forgotten she was wearing and felt her cheeks begin to burn. "Out!" She pointed toward the door.

Lysandra's laugh echoed as Aelin pushed her towards the door. "Such a girlfriendy thing of you to do considering you're  _ soooo single!" _

Once Lysandra was out the door Aelin slammed it behind her, then opened it a crack and said "I'm glad you're happy and I love you and I'll see you at work!" Then closed the door and made her way to the shower with a grin etched across her face. 

  
  


***Rowan***

Rowan felt his phone buzz just as he pulled into his parking spot. 

**YOU KNEW!**

**I take it you spoke**

**with Lysandra?**

**HOW DID YOU KNOW?!**

**Lysandra does NOT know**

**how to whisper**

**When she's drunk. And your**

**cousin is loud. They weren't subtle.**

**GROSS! YOU HEARD THEM?!**

**Gods no. I mean he was yelling.**

**Oh. Well that tracks.**

**What time are you**

**coming home on Thursday?**

**I don't know yet.**

**Why do you ask?**

**So…. I know we're**

**meeting everyone at the**

**bar thursday night,**

**But I was wondering if**

**you would want to meet**

**up beforehand and**

**meet Aedion first**

**But only if you'll already**

**be home! And I mean even**

**just fifteen minutes before!**

A dopey grin spread across his face as the last three texts rapidly showed up on the screen. The ellipsis was already blinking again. He quickly typed out his reply.

**How do you feel about brunch?**

He watched the dots disappear. Then start blinking again. He already knew the answer. Aelin had explained many times that brunch was the best meal of the day and that workplaces  _ needed _ to respect the sanctity of brunch because breakfast foods were the best foods (and the only ones she could actually cook) but breakfast  _ time _ is far too early in the morning.

**You know brunch**

**happens at like**

**11:00 am right?**

**I'm familiar with the**

**concept of brunch, yes.**

**You'd have to leave**

**at like 4:00 am.**

He didn't care. The sooner he got home the better and even if making Aelin happy with brunch hadn't been worth it, taking the opportunity to gain some extra points with her cousin definitely would have.

**So does 11:00 work**

**for you? We can meet at**

**Emrys's diner.**

**You already know it does.**

**Perfect. :) I'm walking**

**on site. Text you later.**

He slipped his phone into his pocket and slapped a safety helmet onto his head as he approached Vaughn. He was still wearing a grin and didn't bother to hide the skip in his step. There was an end to this trip in sight, an Aelin shaped light at the end of the tunnel that even the shadow of his upcoming meeting with Lyria couldn't block out. 

Vaughn narrowed his eyes. "Rowan. You're right on time today."

"Morning Vaughn."

"And you're smiling."

Rowan turned the full force of his grin on his friend. "I do that sometimes."

"You've been at least half an hour early to the site since you got here and a grumpy asshole for the better part of the last three years. What changed?"

Rowan waved his friend off and started to get to work. "I just woke up on the right side of the bed."

Vaughn eyes narrowed further. "No. No I think your sunny disposition has something to do with whatever you were reading on your phone that put that dopey ass grin on your face. And if I had to wager a guess I'd say you were reading a message from the chick Fen says you're in love with." 

Rowan made a mental note to hit a little harder next time he and Fenrys met up to spar. "Fenrys should butt out. Did he actually call you just to give you an update on my private life?"

"You're not denying it."

"I'm still married." The familiar excuse he had been slinging at everyone who asked rolled off his tongue without thought, but suddenly the words didn't feel right coming out of his mouth. There was a light at the end of that tunnel too. The excuse he had been using to deflect everyone's questions had an expiration date. He found himself adding "I want to do it right. With Aelin… I need to do it right. And right now, I'm still married." It was more than he had admitted to anyone, though he had pretty much said the same to Fenrys a few weeks ago.

"But not for long though."

Rowan didn't look up from his work as he echoed "Not for long, though," and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Three days until he would see Aelin. Four until he would sit down with Lyria until they found a way to end their marriage. After that there was endless potential for where life could take him and, assuming Aelin wanted to, he planned on figuring out where they might go together.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

***Aelin***

Aelin was practically giddy with excitement as she walked Aedion down the street toward her favorite diner. She had woken up midmorning to find a single text from Rowan.

**See you soon!**

The timestamp read 3:59am. She had practically fallen out of bed in her attempt to scramble toward the shower. He had left perfectly on time. Of course he was perfectly on time. He was always perfectly on time and despite the fact that she still hadn't managed to drag herself out of bed before 9:45, Aelin was determined to be on time. Aedion, of course, had been up for hours already and had snickered at her as she fumbled her way into the bathroom. 

Finally, walking the last two blocks between the public parking lot and Emrys's diner, Aelin could hardly contain herself. She was half listening to Aedion while trying to peer over the heads of people rushing down the crowded sidewalk, hunting for a glimpse of silver hair.

"You want me to put you up on my shoulders so you can see over the crowd?"

She stopped and looked up at him for a moment, mulling over the idea, before she caught a glimpse of the laughter in his eyes. He was teasing her. She turned back toward her cousin and punched him once in the arm.

"Joke all you want! You can't ruin my good mood today!" The wide grin she had been wearing since they left her apartment was proof. Aedion just gave her a soft knowing smile and ruffled her hair. 

He was about to speak when his eyes caught on something behind her head and his face split into a wide grin of his own. 

She had just begun to turn when a familiar pair of hands settled on her shoulders. 

Aelin gasped at the contact and turned, flinging her arms around his neck and clinging to him like he was a lifeline in the middle of the sea.

Rowan wrapped his arms around her middle and lifted her off the ground burying his face in her neck and hair and squeezing her back like she might disappear if he didn't hold on tight enough. "I missed you like hell Princess," he whispered against her neck, and suddenly she was crying. He squeezed her tighter once before lowering her feet to the ground. Without stepping away from her he smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks. "Why are you crying?" Aelin rubbed at her eyes. She felt her whole life shifting and settling back into place now that Rowan was home. She was in his arms and he was real again and all of the stress and sadness and worry she had been carrying since she last saw him evaporated. He'd had to leave so soon after visiting Sam that she hadn't even been clear of the grief long enough to appreciate what she would be losing while he was away. 

She swiped at her eye once more and told a half truth. "I'm just so excited for my pastries!" Rowan laughed as she made a show of looking him up and down and around. "Speaking of which… where are they? I don't want to have to stab you, but I do try to always keep my promises!" She narrowed her eyes and made a poor attempt to glare.

"Your pastries," he paused, taking a moment to flick the end of her nose, "are at home. You can have them after brunch."

"But I won't be hungry after brunch!"

Rowan rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll find room. I'm not about to risk sending Emrys into a rage by bringing in someone else's pastries."

"Oh yes. You wouldn't want to risk him tampering with your weird fishy bagel.” She raised her eyebrows at him in challenge.

"Someday, Princess, I will convince you to try it and you will have to eat your words." 

Aelin scrunched up her nose in disgust, she had been disgusted by the idea of eating a fish since childhood and had no intention of ever trying it. She started to protest, but froze as Rowan leaned in close and whispered in her ear "Are you gonna make your cousin stand there forever?" 

Her cheeks flushed and she spun in place. Aedion was watching with a hand over his mouth and a fond look in his eye. He stepped forward and held a hand out toward Rowan. "Aedion Ashryver, nice to finally meet you."

Rowan took his hand with smile. "Rowan Whitethorn. I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to put a face to the stories."

"Sad to say I can't say the same. Aelin has been weirdly secretive about you." 

"Have not!" She reached out to pinch her cousin. "I told you about him!"

"You just conveniently forgot to mention how hot prince charming is? And your random sleepovers? And the fact that have a key to his apartment?" Aelin's cheeks flushed a deep red and she stammered for a moment. Rowan raised a brow at her, eyes twinkling, as she suddenly became very interested in the display window of the diner.

"Are you guys hungry? I am so hungry. Just starving. I'll just go get us a table. And menus. And maybe order something…." She was still talking as she walked through the door and towards the counter. She barely made it to the line before a pair of large hands came to rest on her shoulders again. She looked up to find dark green eyes and a smile that sent her heart racing.  _ Gods has he always been so tall?  _

"Why don't you and Aedion go get your table? I can wait in line." He nodded toward the table in the corner that he knew was her favorite. "You want your usual?" 

She nodded excitedly as she began to say "but with pecans-"

"Pecans instead of almonds. Because they make your mouth itchy." He smiles fondly before continuing, "Which is definitely an allergy and a sign that you should stop eating my almond butter.

"That was one time! I couldn't find my peanut butter!" As she threw her hands into the air she noticed Aedion standing off to the side, listening to their conversation and watching with something between awe and surprise written across his face. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward her table. He resisted just long enough to give Rowan his order before finally gave in and followed behind her. She slid into the bench and scooted to the wall to make room for Aedion, but he ignored it and sat in the middle of the bench on the opposite side. She made a face at him, which he also ignored. 

He dropped his elbows on the tabletop and leaned in so only she could hear as he whispered roughly, "So. Why are you keeping secrets?"

"I'm not keeping secrets. I told you all about Rowan."

He scoffed. "Oh please. With that kind of face and body you don't just forget to mention it. He's so hot it's abnormal."

"Maybe I just didn't think you needed to know! Besides, you SAW a PICTURE," she whisper yelled, throwing a hand in the air.

"It's not the same thing!" His eyes sparked in amusement. "I think you just didn't want the competition."

"Hah! As if you even would! You're infatuated with Lysandra. Frankly, I'm surprised you even noticed Rowan's good looks!"

"Lysandra would probably be into it! She thinks he's hot too!" Aelin glanced back toward the counter where Rowan was now at the front of the line, smiling and conversing with Luca. She turned back to Aedion when he said harshly, "Just admit you like him and get it over with!"

"No! Be quiet!"

"Admit it!" Rowan was walking toward the table now. "Admit that you like him."

"Aedion, I swear if you don't shut up I'll kill you." As Rowan came within earshot of the table Aedion began to open his mouth again and Aelin cut him off louder than she intended, "Fine! Yes! Now shut up about it!"

Rowan paused at the edge of the table and took in Aedion's triumphant look and Aelin's red face and irritated posture. "Uhhhh… do you guys need a minute?"

Aedion jumped in as smooth as can be and said, "Nope, Aelin was just telling how excited she is to share the croissants you brought back. It's been such a long time since we've had anything from Marion's bakery." He gave Aelin a pointed look. "Weren't you Aelin?" 

Her jaw dropped and her fists clenched. She never should have told him that Rowan was going to visit Marion's for her. She was saved from trying to answer calmly by a sudden laugh from Rowan. I'll make sure to bag a couple up for you before they disappear." He slid into the seat next to Aelin, oblivious to the intense glare she was directing across the table, and fell into happy conversation with Aedion.

Within a few minutes Luca was setting plates on the table. She flashed the teenager a glittering smile that had him blushing, and was already digging into her stack of pancakes before he left. Rowan and Aedion continued to talk and swap stories while they ate. Every so often Rowan's leg would graze against her own, or his knee would bump her under the table as he adjusted his position. Each time it sent a shock through her, a rush of blood to her head, pink to her cheeks. She had to fight to focus on the conversation, on the cars driving by outside the window, on the coffee cup in her hand, on anything, really, other than Rowan's leg that was now pressed against her own.  _ It's nothing,  _ she thought to herself.  _ He's just too tall to fit in the damn table. Stop getting all worked up.  _ She sighed quietly and turned to look out the window, cursing her cousin in her head for making her admit her feelings. She'd had it all under control, but now… now she could barely wrap her head around anything more than the six inches of contact where his leg was still brushing against hers and she suddenly wasn't sure how much longer she could go before she broke and spilled her heart out on the floor.

  
  


***Aelin***

Perched on the counter in Rowan's kitchen, Aelin watched in horror as Rowan packed a bag of six, SIX, of her beloved chocolate croissants into a gallon size freezer bag to send with Aedion. The two in question were involved in a complicated conversation about proper kickboxing technique, and neither one of them seemed to notice her distress. 

Aedion suddenly stretched his arms toward the ceiling and caught sight of Aelin's face. A smirk that had her seeing red bloomed to life on his face. He started moving towards the door, talking as he went. "Well, I better get goin. Lysandra wanted to run some errands and I promised to help. See you guys tonight? Yeah. Of course. Anyway, see ya later Aelin. Thanks for the pastries! Bye!" And as he said the last word the door closed.

It took a moment for Aelin to process how suddenly he left, and to remember that he was her ride home. They had planned on brunch, maybe hanging out for an hour, then going home to get ready, and to let Rowan rest, before they all met at the bar. She took off after him as soon as it clicked but when she reached the balcony he was already in the parking lot sprinting for her car! She patted her pockets searching for her keys, and realized they were gone. He had lifted them from her pocket. When she looked back up he was pulling out of the parking lot and laughing his ass off.  _ I'm going to kill him. I'm going to run the ten miles home, and I'm going to kill my cousin.  _

A deep laugh pulled her attention back to Rowan's door. "Gods you two really are like siblings." She scowled up at him. Looked back down the road Aedion had disappeared down.

"He was my ride home. He stole my baked goods and abandoned me!" 

"Are you tired of me already Princess?" 

Her anger stuttered.

"Of course not!" Her head whipped around to find him grinning like a cat with a mouse under it's paw. She reached out to lightly punch him in the shoulder and frowned. "I can't believe you gave him so many. You gave him half!" Her lips twisted into a pout. 

Rowan was still smiling at her from the doorway. "Come back inside. I have something to show you."

Curiosity had her shuffling back through the door and following Rowan back to the kitchen. He reached above the fridge and pulled down a second brown box, identical to the half empty one on the counter. "This," Rowan says with a wide smile, "is your box of pastries." Aelin's eyes widen. "That box was for Aedion and Lysandra. I was going to give him the whole thing until he clearly tried to blackmail you to share. Now he only gets half." Rowan's eyes were twinkling at the stunned expression on her face.

"How did you know?"

"Aside from it being extremely obvious that you guys were being weird when I got to the table, there wasn't a chance in Hell you agreed to share those willingly." He held out the box. 

Aelin took it out of his hands and set it to the side before wrapping her arms around his middle. He squeezed her back without hesitation. "I still don't have a ride home," she muttered into his t-shirt.

He chuckled and pulled back far enough to look at her. "You can just ride over to the bar with me."

"But you need to take a nap, since you decided it was a good idea to wake up at 4:00 in the morning to drive home." 

He waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll be fine." She sent him an unsure look that made him laugh. "If it'll make you feel better you can put on a movie and I'll lay around on the couch, but it's been almost a month, and I've missed you, and I don't want you to leave yet." 

Aelin narrowed her eyes, even as her cheeks flushed a rosy pink and a smile tugged at her lips. "Well since I've been abandoned by Aedion I guess I have no choice do I?" She turned away from Rowan and snatched her box of croissants from the counter before prancing out of the kitchen. 

Aelin sat at one end of the couch and Rowan tossed a pillow in her lap before stretching out and resting his feet on the arm at the opposite end. Her left arm naturally fell over his upper torso, which he pinned in place under one of his own, while she combed the fingers of her right hand to through his hair, gently scraping along his scalp. The opening credits had just begun to roll when she asked "So, Did you build anything cool in Terrasen?"

He huffed a quiet laugh. "We laid foundation for an office complex." 

"That's…an incredibly boring type of building." 

"Very boring. No fun was had whatsoever." He nestled deeper into the pillow, eyes drifting closed.

"And without my glowing personality to keep you company? I don't know how you survived."

"Barely made it," he mumbled. "Had to bring home your pastries so you wouldn't stab me."

She laughed quietly, pulling her fingers through his hair until it was stretched to it's full length. She guessed it was about two inches in the longest spot. "You know I could probably put some very tiny braids in this," she whispered.

"I'll kill you." He didn't bother to open his eyes when he muttered the words, just nuzzled his head into her hand, urging her to resume drawing patterns on his scalp. 

"You're no better than a housecat." She smiled and let her eyes wander over him as his breathing evened out. Her heart seemed to hitch in her chest, becoming more uneven the longer she looked at him. She marveled at the fact that she somehow felt calm and settled in a way she couldn't manage while he was gone, and yet more off balance in his presence than she had ever been. 

She pulled her hand free of his hair once she was sure he was asleep and reached for a pastry, glad she had thought to bring the box, since she had no intention of moving until Rowan woke up.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

***Aelin***

The bar was packed when they arrived. People celebrating the long weekend milled about with drinks in hand, talking and laughing as they went. Couples were tucked into booths along the walls while others hung close to the bar, searching for someone to take home. It took her a few minutes to find their group secluded near the back. They had spread coats and bags over a few tables and nearly everyone already had a drink in their hand. 

Fenrys appeared behind them and clapped his hands down on Rowan's shoulders and steered him toward the bar. He called a hello over his shoulder to Aelin. She waved, but her eyes were already locked on a table in the corner where her cousin sat, Lysandra happily perched on his lap. Aedion looked up and waved her over, ignoring the irritated glare she gave him. She hadn't entirely forgiven him for abandoning her, even if she had ended up having a pretty great day. As she approached the table he held up a bottle. "Apology beer?" 

She softened her glare and took it from him. "This buys your way out of abandoning me, but I'm never forgiving you for stealing my food." 

Lysandra laughed. "I told you so. If you want her back you'll have to drive your ass to Terrasen." She turned to Aelin "I'll have you know I refused to take any after he told me how he got them. Abandoning you at Rowan's I can get behind but I," she placed a hand dramatically against her chest, "would never try to steal your pastries."

Aelin grinned at her friend. "And that is why I love you more than my cousin." Aedion scoffed in mock outrage, but Aelin and Lysandra were already shuffling off to the dartboard. 

As they made their way past the bar entrance Lorcan's hulking form appeared in the doorway. He sent a glare down at Aelin who had planted herself, suddenly, in his path. "Well if it isn't my good buddy Lorcy Salvaterre!" She exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of their friends.

"Step aside, firebreather. I'm not here for you, I'm here in spite of you."

Aelin's grin spread wide across her face. She had been waiting almost a month to play this card. "But it's been so long Lorcy. I don't think I've seen you since your wedding actually!" She placed a finger to her lips as if suddenly remembering something. Her audience was rapt with attention. "Speaking of your wedding, it's not Lorcan Salvaterre anymore is it?"

"...How….?" Confusion, quickly replaced by recognition, crossed his face before it settled into a scowl. 

"It's Little Lorcy Lochan now isn't it?" Fenrys's shrieking laughter rang out from somewhere behind her. "It's so nice to see you my friend, but I am late for a round of darts and I really must be on my way."

Even Rowan's eyes had gone wide and Aelin could see from across the room that he was trying to hide a smile. Lorcan just gave a defeated sigh. "Dammit, Elide. Why?" 

A head of dark hair popped out from behind him, mischief written across her face. "What?" she asked demurely. "Was it a secret? Do you have some problem with sharing my name?" She pushed up onto her tippy toes and stage whispered, "then maybe you shouldn't have underestimated me sugar." She kissed him lightly on the lips.

He narrowed his eyes at her, but a small smile flitted across his face. "What do you want to drink, babe?"

"Moscow mule with extra ginger please!" He nodded and took off for the bar, Fenrys practically bouncing along on his heels. Elide turned back toward Aelin and Lysandra. "Now what's this I heard about darts?"

  
  


***Rowan***

Rowan watched Aelin from across the bar as she tilted her head back and laughed with abandon at something Elide or Lysandra said. Lorcan was leaning his elbows against the table, rubbing at his temples and doing his best to ignore Fenrys's endless questions about his new last name. Neither one of them seemed to mind that they only had half of Rowan's attention.

He had woken up earlier to the whisper of her hand trailing up and down his arm, setting his skin aflame everywhere she touched. She had leaned over, curving her body around him to peer at his face, and told him that they were going to be late to his own coming home party if he slept any longer. Rowan, still half asleep, had nearly lost the internal battle it took not to lean up and kiss her, to pull her into his arms and try to convince her to stay home instead. He had barely managed to come back to his senses. 

Aelin's smile disappeared for a moment as she ran her eyes along the corner of the room they had taken for their group. When they found his own eyes already on her, her whole face lit up. Gods she was beautiful. She held up her drink and pointed lifting her brows, asking if he needed a refill. He shook his head no, holding up a still full glass and watched her disappear into the crowd of bodies lining the counter. He still hadn't decided how he was going to ask her out. It was so much more important than just picking up a girl at a bar. Part of him wanted to plan something elaborate, something that would sweep her off her feet. The other part thought maybe a quiet night at home would be better. He knew the indecision was likely because of the paralyzing fear that he might be wrong, that she might not be interested in him as anything more than a friend. He shook his head, clearing out his fears. Now wasn't the time to worry about it. He would get through his meeting tomorrow first, and then he would worry about how to approach Aelin with how he felt about her. He turned to Fenrys and interrupted his interrogation of Lorcan to ask about Connall's surgery and recovery. Lorcan shot him a grateful look and quickly slipped away toward the bar as soon as Fenrys attention was redirected. 

  
  


***Aelin***

The counter was packed with bodies all trying to get the attention of a single bartender. Aelin had been waiting for nearly ten minutes already and though she didn't want to lose her place at the bar, she really had to pee. She craned her neck hoping to catch someone's eye to stand in for her but the wall of bodies was too thick. She quickly decided she would just have to come back after. Aelin pushed her way toward the bathrooms and just as she broke out of the crowd, a familiar male voice called out her name. Her eyes went wide as a mild panic bloomed through her chest. She looked around, desperately searching for Rowan, Lysandra, Aedion, any one of her friends to save her from the interaction she was about to have, but they had all disappeared back to their tables on the other side of the crowd. She started to move toward the bathroom again, nearly at a run, when a large hand closed around her wrist, pulling her to a stop. "Aelin wait!" he said. Her stomach dropped at the contact and she tried to swallow back her dread at the idea of this confrontation happening in such a public place. She took a deep breath, blew it out through her nose and finally turned around, eyes settling on none other than Chaol Westfall, still gripping her wrist tightly in his hand.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

***Aelin***

"What do you want Chaol?" She yanked her wrist free of his grip and let her rage bleed into the glare she was already sending his direction. He had always seemed to know which buttons to push, which ones would hurt most, and she braced herself for whatever this conversation would bring. She had told him too much about herself and her history when they were together, given him too much ammunition to use against her. Even though she was stronger and knew better about how she should allow herself to be treated now, it didn't mean it would be painless if he decided to use it against her.

He looked at his hand for a moment, almost as if surprised to find it empty, before shifting his eyes toward the corner where Rowan was sitting with Aedion and Fenrys. He glared their direction for a moment before speaking. She tried again to catch someone's attention, but Aedion and Fenrys are locked in conversation, and Rowan's attention had shifted to Lorcan, who had just reappeared at the table.

Aelin turned her attention back to Chaol. She was about to ask again what he wanted, but he cut her off. "You should really be careful around guys that." He gestures toward the table. 

Aelin's jaw dropped, and she stammered for a moment, incredulous. Of all the thinges she had been expecting him to say, that certainly wasn't it. Her eyes quickly flicked back and forth between Chaol and her friends. Rowan had somehow disappeared and Aedion and Fenrys were now listening intently to Lorcan. When she finally managed to speak her voice was saturated with disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Chaol didn't even acknowledge her question before moving on. "I want you back." Aelin's eyes widened. She laughed a strained sort of huff. "I'm serious Aelin. I think I love you. I want you to come back." He had already turned his glare back toward the corner table before he finished speaking. He had barely even looked at her.

She blinked at him a few times before responding with quiet fury. "You love me? Seriously?" Her voice began to gain volume. "You didn't even like me when I was dating you! You didn't even have the courtesy to break up with me before fucking another woman and now you insult my friends before declaring your  _ love _ for me?! After MONTHS of me ignoring you?! Again, I ask are you FUCKING kidding me?! NO! The answer is no. I am not coming back and I will NEVER come back." She wasn't quite yelling, but she could feel the tension building. She liked this bar. She didn't want to make a scene and get kicked out, but she was getting dangerously close to punching him in the jaw again. 

He finally turned his attention back to Aelin. "I'm not with Lyria anymore, we can try again," he appeared to have more to say, but suddenly his eyes flicked up to something behind her and filled with irritation.

Before she even started to turn around a warm pair of arms that she would recognize anywhere slid around her waist. Aelin breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed slightly against Rowan's chest. He pressed a quick kiss to an intimate spot just behind her ear and, in spite of the situation she was standing in the middle of, her heart began to race. As if Chaol simply ceased to exist, happily asks "Ready to go babe? I already grabbed your coat." Her mind flashed back to the first morning after they had met, when she had been feeling a little reckless and stepped in to help him escape Lyria. Her heart sunk ever so slightly as she realized he was just repaying the favor, but she appreciated it none the less.

"Yeah," she breathed, relief now flooding through her. "Lets go home." He turned them slightly as they walked toward the door, placing his own body between her and an angry, red faced Chaol. 

They were almost out the door when Chaol yelled after them, "Seriously?! You think this," he gestured angrily at Rowan, "is what Sam would want for you?!"

Aelin flinched and felt Rowan tense as they both froze in the doorway. Rowan blew out breath and said barely above a whisper, "I'll be right behind you, Aelin." Aelin remained frozen in place as he spun back and advanced on Chaol. The smile on Rowan's face as he leaned into Chaol's space, didn't match the violence in his eyes. He managed to keep his voice even and his volume low, though the bar had gone nearly silent at Chaol's outburst. "You keep Sam's name out of your mouth before you choke on it." Though there were only a few inches difference, Rowan seemed to tower over Chaol as he continued, "And if you so much as try, even one more time, to come near her without her explicit permission you will find yourself in a world of pain. And when she is done kicking your ass," he paused, his glare pouring every ounce of barely contained rage into Chaol's suddenly pale face, "then it will be my turn." Rowan turned on his heel and stalked back toward her, taking her face between his hands looking into her eyes. "Are you okay?" She nodded once. "Lets get out of here then, yeah?"

"Yeah, " she answered. She took one glance back into the bar just in time to see Aedion's fist connect with Chaol's jaw. Lorcan swooped in just in time to stop Aedion from pinning him to the ground, redirected him toward the bar and ordered him a drink. She thought she saw him slip the bartender some cash. Fenrys was loudly telling Chaol to get the hell out. 

Rowan gave a gentle tug on her hand, pulling her away from the surreal scene and toward his truck.

Once she was in her seat pulling her seatbelt across her, she managed to ask, "Are they gonna be okay? Aedion…. Are they gonna get kicked out of the bar? Maybe we should see if they need a ride or something…"

Rowan smiled and said, "They'll be fine. That bartender is Manon's cousin. We started coming to this bar right after Lorcan met Elide. Chaol is more likely to get banned than Aedion." 

Aelin sighed and leaned her head against the window, letting the cool glass clear her mind. She felt Rowan's finger slip between her own, and her mind instantly became foggy again. 

"My place or yours?"

The pressure of his hand grasping hers sent a pleasant tingle up her arm, leaving goosebumps and making it hard to answer. 

"Mine, I think." She finally answered. If she went to Rowan's apartment right now she would probably do something stupid. Something she might regret. She could still feel the sensation of having his lips touch her neck for that brief second and that, combined with the confrontation with Chaol, had the lines in her head becoming blurry. Rowan just nodded his head, completely unaware that he was at the center of the internal struggle she was having. 

When they arrived in front of her complex she started gathering her coat, wallet, and keys. Rowan hopped out and opened her door waiting for her to turn before he gently lifted her out of the truck and set her on her feet. His hands lingered at her waist just a little longer than necessary and when she met his eyes it was like she fell into them. 

The way he looked at her sometimes, like he could see straight through her skin and into her soul… gods, she could get lost in those eyes and it would be easy, so easy, to disappear, to just stay lost. Almost without thought, she raised a hand to his cheek. His hands tightened on her waist as she trailed her fingers along his cheek. She leaned in slightly, and he sucked in a ragged breath. He was leaning in too, and her heart was pounding in her ears. One of his hands slipped over hers. He gently pulled it away from his face and took a small step back. Something inside of her crumbled. Horror and mortification staining her cheeks a violent shade of red.  _ Oh gods. What did I just do? Oh gods.  _ Panic began to set in.  _ Oh no. I was wrong. So wrong. Of course I was wrong. He's in the middle of a divorce. He's my friend. He was just getting me away from Chaol. It meant nothing. Of course it meant nothing.  _ Her thoughts were moving too fast. She couldn't seem to take a deep breath. Rowan was trying to say something that she couldn't quite bring herself to listen to. She didn't want to hear how she had messed this up. Not yet. She had to go. Needed to escape this. Figure out how to fix this. She took a step back.

  
  


***Rowan***

"Aelin, I…" he started, but she was already stepping back, retreating toward her door. "Wait, let me explain." He held his hands out and took a step in her direction.

She was already moving away again as words streamed from her mouth. "It's fine. Really. It's okay. I just… I've had a really weird night, but it's," 

"No…" he started to say. Panic began to set in. She didn't understand. 

She waved her hands, still backing toward her door. "It'll be fine tomorrow. Just forget… all that." 

"Aelin, you don't understand. Please." She was reaching for the door. He could see the tears she was holding back and his stomach clenched. 

She didn't stop talking long enough for him to explain. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Rowan. And this will all be fine. Like it never happened. Nothing happened."

"Aelin, wait!" She paused, halfway through the door. "I just… I'm meeting with Lyria tomorrow, and…" It was the wrong thing to say. Rowan paused as her face fell and a year ran down her cheek. She swiped it away and glanced toward the street.

"I see…That's… um…. Good for you guys."  _ Wait… what??  _ His brows pulled together in confusion. "Seriously. This will be fine tomorrow. I'll see you tomorrow."

He realized a moment too late that she had misunderstood the reason for the meeting. "No!" The word left his mouth just as the door clicked closed behind her.  _ No. No, no no.  _ He was at the door in a heartbeat pounding against it. Begging her to open it.  _ Fix it. I have to fix it.  _ He didn't have a key to get through to the stairwell so explaining through the door wasn't an option. He ran the short distance back to the truck, snagging his phone from the center console and dialing Aelin's number as he turned back toward the building. It rang through to her voicemail. "Please Aelin. This isn't what you think. I'm not meeting Lyria to get back together. Please, please, call me." He hung up and tried again. And again. Nothing changed. The door didn't open.

"Fuck!" He yelled and slammed his hands against the bed of the truck. He called Lysandra. It went straight to voicemail. Fenrys answered, but said that Aedion and Lys had left soon after he and Aelin had. He took a deep breath and started the truck and spent the drive home trying to come up with something, anything, to convince her to let him explain. She wouldn't answer the door, wouldn't pick up the phone, but maybe she would read a text.

He made his way up to his apartment without hesitation, shut and locked the door, and sat on the couch. Then he began to type.


	18. Chapter 18

Aelin,

The first thing I need to say is that Gods I wish I had kissed you just now. Stepping away from you is possibly the biggest regret of my life. I know I have a lot of them to choose from, but divorcing Lyria is not one of them. 

My meeting with her tomorrow is to finalize my divorce. I'm done after tomorrow, no matter what happens. I decided on it three weeks ago when you showed up at my apartment and I set up this meeting that night after you fell asleep. 

I didn't want anything to be in the way when I told you how I felt about you and I didn't want to put you in a situation where you felt like anything less than the most important person in my life. I didn't think I could do that while Lyria was still hanging over my head and I realized I was just being stubborn by refusing to talk to her.

You made me realize that. You made me want to grow up and handle my problems. You make me want to be a better person Aelin. And for the first time in years you make me want to actually live my life rather than just survive it. It's like I was drifting around half asleep and you woke me up. You brought me back. I love you Aelin. I hate for you to read that in a text, but Gods I love you. And if this is the only chance I have to fix this, then I'm not gonna hold it back. If I'm completely off base, and you honestly just want a friend, that's fine. I'll figure it out. But I need you in my life. I want you to be here, in whatever way you want to be. Please Aelin. Please don't pretend this didn't happen. Please don't give up on this. Please don't give up on me.

Rowan


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

***Rowan***

Rowan fidgeted with the arm of the office chair he was perched on. There was still no reply from Aelin. He had tossed and turned through the night, tried calling a few more times, and woken up to check his phone for a reply almost every hour, but none came. He was a mess, and he knew it. He had tried to clean himself up before leaving the house, but he couldn't hide the bags under his eyes, or tense posture of his shoulders, that he knew would only get worse when Lyria arrived.

His meeting with Lyria would be starting soon. She would be here any minute. His fingers were tapping a nervous pattern against the chair and he pulled them away, flexing and shaking them out, staring at them as if he could order them to calm down.

"Hello Rowan," Lyria's voice filled the room. "It's nice to see you after so long."

He sucked in a breath, forcing himself to release it slowly, and clasped his hands together. "Lyria." He managed a nod.

His lawyer stood and pressed a button on a tape recorder in the middle of the table before he broke the tense silence. "Lyria, it's nice to meet you. My name is Falkan Ennar. As you know, I am Rowan's attorney and I have been discussing the terms of your divorce with your own representative over the course of the previous few months. A few quick things to get out of the way before we begin, the first of which is that I need to notify you that this meeting is being recorded, with the purpose of recording any verbal agreements that the two of you may come to today. Anything recorded during this meeting will be made available in its full capacity to both interested parties. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, both parties will be allowed to use the recording as they see fit in court. Do you consent to being recorded for the duration of this meeting?" 

"I do."

Falkan turned to Rowan. "Rowan, do you consent to being recorded for the duration of this meeting?"

"Yes, I do." Rowan answered. He and Falkan had already discussed how the meeting would begin.

Falkan returned his attention to Lyria. "The second matter to attend to is your decision to attend this meeting without legal representation. Lyria are you certain that would like to participate in this meeting, against the advice of both myself, and your own lawyer, without any form of legal representation present?"

"I'm sure," she replied, adding, "But I would prefer to be called Mrs. Whitethorn."

Rowan felt his eyes roll toward the back of his head, but Falkan didn't miss a beat. "Alright. If that's all, then let's begin." He shuffled some papers around and pulled out a pen. "The purpose of today's meeting is to discuss the finalization of a divorce between Lyria Whitethorn and Rowan Whitethorn." Lyria huffed a sigh and turned her gaze to the window.

"Is there a problem Ms. Whitethorn?" She narrowed her eyes at the man, but answered. 

"I have made clear that I am not in favor of a divorce, and I have no intention of finalizing one today." Rowan's eyes snapped up to take her in for the first time. She looked much the same as he remembered with the exception of a slight bump protruding from her stomach, and an angry expression twisting her face.

"The divorce is happening, Lyria. Whether I have to take you to court or not. This divorce is happening." He made the effort to keep his voice calm and even. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, pursing her lips. Rowan blew out a breath through his teeth and crossed his own arms, tucking his hands into his elbows. 

Falkan spoke from beside Rowan. "Ms. Whitethorn, I have personally been on the receiving end of your many attempts to speak with my client. After this meeting, if no agreement is reached, Rowan has informed me that he would like to sue for divorce. If we reach that point, I will advise him to resume maintaining zero contact until a legal resolution is reached." He looked toward Rowan, gave a small nod.

"If you have something to say, say it Lyria. This isn't going away. And frankly, I don't even understand why you're doing this. You weren't happy either. We fought all the time. I especially don't understand why you think this," he gestured toward her stomach, "is going to prevent me from divorcing you."

Lyria turned sad, angry brown eyes in his direction. "I thought you wanted a family. I thought you wanted kids. This," she gestured toward her stomach "is your chance at that. We could be a family again Rowan. This is our second chance!" Her voice grew higher as she spoke. "You could be a dad this time!"

Rowan took another breath, attempting to calm the blood boiling over in his veins. There was too much going on this morning. He had planned on being calm and clear headed. He had planned on leaving this meeting and asking his best friend out on a date. Instead he felt his life falling apart, somehow without her. She hadn't replied. He poured his heart out and she had nothing to say. Aelin didn't want to be with him, and Lyria did, and it was just wrong.

All of it was wrong. Lyria was still talking. 

"I just know you would be such a good dad to our baby, if you would just move ho-"

"That's not my baby," he said quietly. "Thats not MY baby, Lyria. And our first child wasn't mine either. You ended our marriage. You ended our marriage before you ever got pregnant the first time. You were already seeing other men, I just didn't know about it yet. Do you think I would've stayed with you if I had known?!"

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I was lonely back then Rowan." She shook her head. "You were gone all the time. I asked you to stop taking those jobs but you said the money was too good, and you kept leaving. I never… I wouldn't have done that if you would've just stayed home."

Rowan clenched his hands into fists, still pinned to his chest by his elbows. "Are you seriously trying to blame me for this? You slept with other people. I took those jobs for you. To buy you that house. To prepare for the family we were supposed to have together. I took those jobs so that when we did start a family I wouldn't have to leave anymore. And you said you understood that. I even asked you to come with me!"

Lyria rubbed at her eyes then looked back toward the window. "What kind of life would that have been? Living out of hotel rooms? Quitting my job?"

"It would've been a life together."

"It...I…" she stammered for a moment, as if the thought had never occurred to her before. She was quiet when she answered. "I just… got lonely. But they were never you Rowan." She turned to stare into his eyes and Rowan braced himself. He knew she could see through his anger to the sadness beneath, but she seemed to have mistaken the reason behind it. He could see the moment that hope sparked in her eyes, and he knew then that she thought he was mourning the loss of their marriage, that she might still have a chance. She continued speaking, her voice rising in pitch and becoming frantic. "I never wanted a life with them like I wanted with you. Like I still want with you.... Even if you didn't help conceive the baby, you can still be it's father...we could be a family again…"

Rowan blinked, eyes blown wide. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had she really just said that? Was it really that easy? She had so thoroughly deluded herself that she didn't even seem to realize how fucked up her plan was. Any anger he had been feeling bled out of him. He was just … done… and Lyria had just given him the key to the last cage she was keeping him in. She didn't even seem to realize she had done it. She looked almost smug, like she thought she had won. Rowan turned to his lawyer. "Is that all we need to end this, or am I mistaken?" Falkan nodded his head, already gathering his papers.

"What are you talking about Rowan? What do you mean?" Lyria's face had gone pale. "Rowan what are you talking about?"

Rowan stood. "Well Lyria, you just admitted that the baby you've been using to stall isn't mine, freeing me from any legal obligation to provide child support. Falkan already has my signed agreement to split all of our assets down the middle with the exception of me keeping my truck in exchange for you keeping the house, and your car. It's more than a fair deal.You can sign it, or we can take this to court and the judge can decide how to split it. Either way, I am done and I am leaving. Make your decision before you leave or Falkan has advised me to rescind the offer." 

She stood for a moment, mouth gaping, eyes snapping between Rowan and Falkan before she calmly returned to the table and picked up a pen. The last sight Rowan took in before leaving the office was of Lyria signing the documents and Falkan flashing him a grin. 

Rowan made his way straight to his truck and, once inside, took a deep breath and let the tension fall off of his shoulders. He was finally free. Now he just had to figure out how to save things with Aelin. He leaned his head against the steering wheel and pulled out his phone. Still no response. No missed calls. He blew out another breath, trying to confront the possibility that she just didn't want to talk to him yet.  _ One last try. One last call and if she doesn't answer, I give her space. _ He stared down at his shoes. It rang once. Twice. On the third ring a dim light illuminated the back of his shoes. His eyes widened and suddenly his body shot into motion. He scrambled to reach under the seat and frantically felt around until he found it. He sat up in the seat and stared down at Aelin's phone. 7 missed calls. 1 missed text message. She didn't know. Never got the message. She had no idea that he had even tried to talk to her, let alone how he actually felt about her.

He shifted the truck into drive. The office was only a few blocks away from Aelin's apartment. If he tried Lysandra again maybe she would let him in. His mind was racing as he parked along the curb. He reached for his phone and a sudden knock on his window had him flipping back around. Lysandra and Aedion were looking in at him with confused expressions on their faces.  _ Oh thank the gods! _

"Lysandra," he said quickly hopping out of the truck. "I need to talk to her."

Lysandra's brows knitted together in confusion. He waited while she took in his frantic expression, the grim set of his mouth. "What's wrong?"

Rowan shook his head surprised. "You haven't talked to Aelin?"

Lysandra's face shifted to an unsteady panic and she shook her head. "She was asleep when we got home and its only 10:00… so we thought she was still asleep. Rowan what happened? What's wrong?" 

"I fucked it up Lys. She thinks I got back together with Lyria and I tried to explain, but I found her phone in my truck this morning." Lysandra's eyes went wide.

"What did you do?!" Aedion growled from behind her.

Rowan ignored Aedion and focused his attention on Lysandra. "I need your house key." He knew she understood the second half of what he was asking.  _ I need your house key, and I need you to keep Aedion out of the house for a while.  _

"Absolutely not!" Aedion's eyes looked like they might pop out of his head.

Still Rowan focused on Lysandra. "If she tells you to leave?"

"I'm gone. I swear." She pulled out her key ring and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he said under his breath. 

Aedion started to protest but Lysandra's head whipped around to face him. "Aedion, I really like you, but we've all been waiting months for this and I'll be damned if I lose a bet to fucking Fenrys because you thought you knew best when you've only been here for two fucking weeks. Lets go get breakfast. If Aelin is still mad at Rowan when we get home, then you can beat him up and I won't stop you. Hell, I'll even help." She held out the key and raised an eyebrow at Rowan as if daring him to contradict her. He didn't even wait to see if Aedion followed him, just raced for the door to the stairwell. If he couldn't fix things today he didn't know what to do next and letting Aedion get a few hits in honestly didn't feel like the worst idea in the world anyway. 

Somewhere in the back of his head he knew this was all a misunderstanding, that he hadn't actually done anything wrong, no one had. Still, he couldn't shake the overwhelming guilt he had felt when he saw her face fall. Maybe she was telling the truth and she had just been reacting to seeing Chaol, and was just embarrassed… he stopped that train of thought in its tracks. He refused to give up before he explained. Hell, she honestly might still think he wanted to go back to Lyria. He sprinted up stairs and down the hallway, only stopping once he reached her door. He paused, key in hand, suddenly nervous. Maybe he shouldn't just burst through the door.

He shook out his hands, refusing to let his nerves get the best of him and rapped his knuckles against the door. His fingers tapped against his leg of their own free will as a rustling sound came from behind the door. The lock clicked and suddenly there she was. It felt like the breath had been knocked clean out of him. Everything he wanted to say to her, had practiced during the drive over rushed out of his head and he just stared at her from the doorway, still struggling to catch his breath. He took in the puffiness around her eyes, open wide in shock, and her hair tangled and forced into a messy bun on top of her head. She was fidgeting with the edge of an oversized t-shirt, that he was pretty sure was one of his own, and the fact that she was wearing it filled him with a rush of hope. She was looking toward the floor, cheeks flushed pink, when he finally said, "I found your phone."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

***Aelin***

Aelin was frozen, standing in the doorway, staring at Rowan. She was locked somewhere between shock at his arrival, and embarrassment at being caught crying in his t-shirt. She gripped the hem and tugged at it nervously. His eyes tracked the movement. He looked tired. She glanced down at the floor, trying to find some words to say. She wanted to invite him in. She wanted to ask for space to get over his reconciliation with Lyria, not that he should know she needed it. She had read everything wrong. She had been reckless and now she might be losing her best friend. She wanted to disappear into the floorboards. 

"I found your phone." 

Aelin's eyes snapped back to his face. She'd thought it had been forgotten at the bar. He took a careful step towards her, like she might bolt. He wasn't entirely wrong. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to run away from the embarrassment of what she had done, but Rowan's eyes had locked on her own now and were holding her in place. 

"I called you, last night." He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck, flexed his fingers the way he always did when he was nervous. "A few times. And texted you. I thought you didn't want to talk to me… but then I found your phone in the truck this morning and… I just want to explain myself." 

Aelin sucked in a ragged breath. She didn't know if she could hear him talk about Lyria without having a breakdown, but a sudden thread of hope at keeping her best friend was tugging at her. He was here. He still wanted to talk even after she had panicked and run away. She did her best to steel herself for whatever he might say. This was her chance to keep her best friend, and no matter how much it might kill her to hear about how he and Lyria made up, she was determined to prove she could still do this. She was still struggling to form words, so instead she nodded at him to continue, and stepped aside so he didn't have to stand in the doorway. She turned to follow after him and froze, surprised to find him standing close enough behind her that she had to look up to meet his eyes. 

"I'm not reconciling with Lyria."

Her heart began to pound. "You're not?"

"I met with her this morning to tell her that she could sign the agreement or that I would take her to court."

Aelin's throat was suddenly dry, her heart was trying to escape from her ribcage, and Rowan was standing so close to her now that she could feel the warmth of his skin. She managed a raspy whisper. "Did she sign them?" 

"Yes. She did." Rowan took one of her hands in his own and gently pressed his lips against it before placing it against his jaw. He tentatively slid his hands into place against her waist, recreating their position from the night before. He pressed his lips to her forehead and she thought she might have forgotten how to breathe. "I love you, Aelin." His words were barely a whisper against her skin. She pulled in a shaky breath. His eyes were searching hers when he said, "I would really like to try last night over again, if you would be okay with that."

She could feel that his breathing had become as uneven as her own. His pulse was racing against her hand, and his heart was racing against her chest. Rowan loved her. He just said he loved her. And he was waiting for her to decide how she felt about it. 

Her heart was racing as she slid her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him down even as she rose up on her tippy toes, and captured his lips with her own. She pulled back just long enough to whisper against his lips, "I love you too Rowan. Gods I love you so much it hurts." He leaned down to kiss her again, drawing her in deeper and she let herself get lost in it. Heat crawled along her skin, following his hands as they explored down her back, around her waist, over her hips. She gasped as he hooked his hands under her thighs and lifted her up, carrying her over to set her down on the kitchen island. She wasn't sure how long they stayed there, sharing elated smiles and kisses. 

Eventually Rowan pulled away from her slightly, still leaning against the counter between her knees. His eyes were shining and his face was split by a wide grin. "I may have done this out of order, but I'd really like to take you on a date."

Aelin leaned her head against his shoulder and smiled. "Took you long enough to ask."

Rowan rolled his eyes, flicked her nose and leaned down to place another peck to her lips. He pulled her phone from his pocket. "I should probably give this back to you now." A pale blush colored his cheeks and she raised an eyebrow. He just passed it back into her hands and waited. 

Aelin opened the message from Rowan. She felt him stiffen, but he didn't move away, so she reached for one of his hands and laced her fingers into his.

**Aelin,**

**The first thing I need to say is that Gods I wish I had kissed you just now.**

The first line made her smile, but as she read further she felt tears building behind her eyes. By the time she reached the end she had a hand pressed to her mouth and the tears were starting to spill over. She couldn't imagine how it would've felt to write that message and then never hear bac. 

When she met Rowan's eyes he gave her a sheepish smile. She didn't know how to say what she was feeling so she pulled him back in for another kiss. Heat began to spread through her as his fingers drew lines down her arms. She gasped and her lips parted, drawing him deeper and suddenly something shifted. He planted his right hand on the counter beside her thigh and began to trail searing kisses down her neck. Aelin arched her back against him as something molten rushed through her veins. His fingers brushed across her thigh as he trailed them along the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing. 

Just as he started to lift it up, a delighted shriek rang through the apartment. Aelin and Rowan both startled and jumped apart. Rowan bumped into an end table and scrambled to stop a lamp from toppling over. Aelin, having nowhere to go, smacked her head into the cupboard behind her. They both righted themselves, faces flushed in matching shades of red. Lysandra looked downright gleeful at the scene unfolding before her. Aedion looked horrified. "Gods, guys. Seriously?! With the door open?" Neither of them bothered to answer.

Aelin's eyes flicked to Rowan's. "Your place?"

His face cracked into a radiant smile. "Definitely."


	21. Chapter 21

Epilogue

Two years later

***Rowan***

Aelin had still been sleeping when Rowan slipped out of their bedroom in the early hours of the morning. If he was lucky she was still there, enjoying the chance to sleep in and unaware of his absence. The morning air was cool against his skin when he hopped down onto the, now familiar, gravel path and made his way toward the river.

The sun was still low enough in the sky to illuminate the water beneath the copse of trees and Rowan took a deep breath before sliding down to lean against Sam's tree. 

"Good morning Sam." He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tree as well. "We should be breaking ground on the house next week. It's as close as I could make it to what you guys always wanted, so you should expect the afterlife to get a little noisy." A bird began to sing from across the river. "Aelin's good. She's really gotten settled into her new job. She's so good at it she's practically running the company these days." He cracked a smile. "I'm so proud of her, Sam. I don't know how I got this lucky and I think you're probably the only person who really gets it." Rowan pulled a small box from his jacket pocket and flicked it open. Sunlight glittered off the deep green emerald, casting spots of light that danced across his torso as he shifted it about. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me today," he whispered into the air, "and I was hoping to get your blessing." He ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't know it was possible to love someone this much. I swear I'll take care of her, Sam. I'd do anything for her. I'm so glad she had you, and I'm so sorry you had to go early, but I swear I'll do right by her. By both of you." A warm breeze blew past, ruffling his hair and shaking the leaves above him. Rowan took a deep breath and stood up, brushing debris off his jeans. "Alright man. Wish me luck. We'll be back soon." Then he turned around and, with a small smile on his face, took the first step toward his new life with the woman who made it worth living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've reached the end! I've very much enjoyed going on this writing journey and I wanted to say thank you so much to those of you who took the time to give kudos and comment! You guys really helped keep me excited and motivated to keep going! I do have a few drabbles planned, though I don't have a schedule yet. Thanks again! I hope you all enjoyed it!


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